Cooper Flagg continues to drive the conversation about next year's NBA offseason and the hype that it will bring following his one season with the Duke basketball program.
Organizations will be dreaming of winning the Draft Lottery in order to have the chance at taking the 6-foot-9 superstar with the No. 1 overall pick and trying to find a comparison to the highly skilled forward has already begun.
Paul George, a 9-time NBA All-Star, divulged his comparison to Flagg on his podcast, Podcast P with Paul George, and it comes with some red flags for the Blue Devil rookie.
"He's kind of got a little Michael Beasley," George explained. "At that size, can score, can play make, super talented, just a game changer."
To most NBA fans, however, Beasley would be considered a bust after being the No. 2 selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was picked only behind Derrick Rose and ahead of players like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love.
He did manage to stay in the NBA for 11 seasons and average 12.4 points per game during his career but he was never the franchise changer that many expected him to be.
"I don't think people speak enough about how good Michael Beasley was, or is. I still see clips, to this day, of him doing crazy online," George continued.
Cooper Flagg is a real special talent 💯
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) August 26, 2024
Jared McCain: “He's elite ... the biggest thing that stands out with him is playing hard.”
PG: “He's kinda got a little like Michael Beasley ... I think the world of Cooper Flagg.” pic.twitter.com/7XkqDxHahv
Talent was never the issue with Beasley and his lack of stardom in the NBA. The Kansas State product was considered lazy by many teams and his off the court problems didn't help him when being evaluated by other franchises.
He averaged 26.2 points per game in his only season of college basketball, winning the National Freshman of the Year as well as the Big 12 Player of the Year.
"I think the world of Cooper Flagg," George said. "I think he got the ultimate game."
Former Duke standout freshman Jared McCain, who was a guest during the episode of the podcast, said that Flagg consistently plays hard during practices but didn't want to put any more expectations on his shoulders by comparing him to a current or previous NBA player.
Cooper Flagg will begin his college career with the Blue Devils on November 4 against Maine.