NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Thread

[hedge]

I’ve seen this a lot since that loss (and I previously posted in the White Lotus thread about the University objecting to the portrayal of this guy and his suicidal behavior using Duke branding), but my request to posters here is to consider the negative impact of this kind of image on people suffering from depression.

I had not seen that request but it's well-taken. I'm deleting the post...

 

[DiehardHeelFan]

I do have to say I felt bad for Kon during the post game interview. Paraphrasing from what I can remember. Reporter started out about how good Flagg is and he had a great game. Then asked, what did you and the rest of the team do to support him and (again paraphrasing and maybe a little exaggerated) not have him have to do it all by himself. The look on Kon’s face said “Wtf”. Felt a little bad for Cooper too. That was an uncomfortable question to ask at least the way it was worded.

 

[superrific]

This is one of several reasons I found super's comparison of Flagg to Kevin Durant to be a bit... generous. I'm thinking Flagg's NBA career is going to be somewhere b/w Durant's and Mike Dunleavy's. But closer to Dunleavy's. Not that there's anything wrong with that, Dunleavy had a very nice NBA career and earned himself $100 million (and given the current salary structure in the NBA, Flagg will probably earn 10 times that even if he has a similar career to Dunleavy). I do think Flagg will have a nice NBA career, I just don't see it being anything comparable to Durant's...

1. Flagg is 18 years old.
2. Durant lost in the round of 32.
3. Flagg's game is so well-rounded. Guy like that shouldn't be a good distributor but he is. Shooting was a weakness, but it appears not to be any more.
4. Every single NBA talent evaluator would disagree with you about Dunleavy. I keep reading that Flagg would have been taken #1 in this most recent draft, and of course he's an absolute lock to go first. This isn't one of those cases where there are no clear superstars so teams take chances on an Anthony Bennett. Everyone wants Flagg.
5. I have no idea whether his NBA career will be like Durant's. I said that on the college level, he's as talented and effective as anyone since Durant. I think he compares comparably to Durant. Durant was a better shooter and scorer; Flagg is more versatile.

 

[05C40]

The advice to take it easy on what are, often in fact, teenagers having every facet of their lives examined with a microscope is well taken. I would not have wanted such scrutiny back when I was a teenager. But--and you knew there was going to be a "but"--when I was a teenager and did something I was proud of, I didn't strut around like a peacock calling attention to myself. I agree we should recognize these are either teenagers or near-teenagers and have the emotional maturity of teenagers. But they could give some thought to meeting us halfway and not constantly reenact Leonardo DiCaprio's "I'm King of the WORLD!" scene every time they manager to not screw something up.

 

[Centerpiece]

That call isn’t really worth bringing up, but it’s all dookies have today.

But that’s my point that’s the only thing that Dookie have to bring up today… My point is the fact that the call doesn’t really matter at all cause Houston got the ball anyway. That’s the point, whether or not you deem it worthy on this thread notwithstanding

 

[Bigs23]

1. Flagg is 18 years old.
2. Durant lost in the round of 32.
3. Flagg's game is so well-rounded. Guy like that shouldn't be a good distributor but he is. Shooting was a weakness, but it appears not to be any more.
4. Every single NBA talent evaluator would disagree with you about Dunleavy. I keep reading that Flagg would have been taken #1 in this most recent draft, and of course he's an absolute lock to go first. This isn't one of those cases where there are no clear superstars so teams take chances on an Anthony Bennett. Everyone wants Flagg.
5. I have no idea whether his NBA career will be like Durant's. I said that on the college level, he's as talented and effective as anyone since Durant. I think he compares comparably to Durant. Durant was a better shooter and scorer; Flagg is more versatile.

Flagg is not in KD’s class not by a wide margin.

 

[Bigs23]

But that’s my point that’s the only thing that Dookie have to bring up today… My point is the fact that the call doesn’t really matter at all cause Houston got the ball anyway. That’s the point, whether or not you deem it worthy on this thread notwithstanding

I didn’t mean you. I meant as an excuse for dook’s epic collapse in general.

 

[superrific]

Flagg is not in KD’s class not by a wide margin.

I guess we'll see.

Cooper Flagg Gets Kevin Durant, LeBron James Comparison From Jay Bilas After Huge Game vs. No. 2 Ranked Team

The Duke Blue Devils atoned for their loss to the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks earlier this season with a win over No. 2 Auburn on Wednesday in a game that saw 17-year-old superstar Cooper Flagg do a little bit of everything at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

www.yardbarker.com

And Kevin Durant seemed to think Flagg was comparable, saying that he was going to be one of the best players in the NBA.

 

[GeeWhy]

The Golf Cart of the Damned hauls off another load.

The original haul.

 

[hedge]

I have no idea whether his NBA career will be like Durant's. I said that on the college level, he's as talented and effective as anyone since Durant. I think he compares comparably to Durant. Durant was a better shooter and scorer; Flagg is more versatile.

Point taken. I didn't go back to read your post comparing Flagg to Durant, so I went off on a tangent about their pro careers that you hadn't made. My bad. FWIW, Dunleavy was the 3rd pick in the draft so there were at least some NBA talent evaluators who thought he was pretty good...

 

[StrangePackage]

I feel like we're losing the thread here.

BCE? I think it's arguable. Judging from the astonishing, deafening silence from the board dookies, I'd guess they'd be forced to agree.

 

[DiehardHeelFan]

Yes we will see. Per the article, Bilas says Flagg is as good as any of the players after Durant.

From the article:

"Cooper Flagg, I think, compares favorably to many of the top prospects that have come out in the past several years," Bilas said.

"There's been no player I've seen at age 17 or 18 that compares to LeBron James when he came out of St. Vincent St. Mary's in Ohio back in 2003.

"But, you know, probably the next best prospect that I've scouted not only in high school but in college was Kevin Durant when he came out in 2007," Bilas continued.

"But, of the guys that have come out since then, Cooper Flagg's right up there with any of them, incredibly skilled at age 17 and incredibly mature for that age. He's just got a maturity you don't see very often.

"You don't see it very often in players, period, but the idea that he's 17 years old, it boggles the mind," Bilas continued, adding that Flagg does his best to make the right play and "doesn't hang his head" when things go wrong.

Doesn’t hang his head? Sure Jan. He just gives Scheyeresque contorted faces

Flagg will be good. Maybe on a Banchero level who he compares with from a collegiate level. That’s not bad at all

 

[Mulberry Heel]

There’s no chance dook beats Houston 97 out of 100 times. Zero.

Agreed. Houston had the top-rated defense in the nation and they played in a much tougher conference this year than the ACC, which was historically weak, sad to say. I do think dook had more talent on paper, but they were untested most of the year and Houston just kept coming and didn't give up and I think dook very clearly got rattled and then imploded as the game got tight. It happens, although seeing a team with dook's talent just literally fall apart like that was something to watch, and just lovely to see if you're a UNC fan. But I agree, Houston would definitely win their fair share against dook if they played them 100 times. Maybe not a majority of games out of 100, but it would still be a good number. And Sampson just flat-out outcoached Scheyer last night down the stretch. This was a truly memorable collapse, and it is going to sting the dookies for a good while.

 

[Healing]

I understand how Durant is invoked in a Flagg conversation, I just don’t see it. Durant was a more fluid athlete with a larger repertoire of setups and shot angles, better shooter, and rebounded at a higher rate. Flagg is a more physical player with better court vision, at the age. I see Flagg’s upper end as Jason Tatum/Paul George, with a floor of Aaron Gordon-ish.

 

[superrific]

Flagg will be good. Maybe on a Banchero level who he compares with from a collegiate level. That’s not bad at all

He's going to be better than Banchero. He's basically better at everything and is younger at the same point in their careers.

I know he said the best prospect since Durant. That seems like a favorable comparison. Not favorable as in "better" but favorable as in "we can put these guys in the same sentence." And look, nobody is going to say "this guy is better than Durant," because that type of shit went out in the 90s when countless "next MJs" fizzled, perhaps in part because of the pressure of those expectations. Even Lebron, who was better than Jordan at the same age, was billed as "the best prospect since MJ."

I don't know -- it just seems to me that Flagg can do everything. And that's what's surprising. We knew about his athleticism. We knew about his defense. But his shooting has been better than expected and his playmaking is really impressive. I mean, 4.2 apg versus 2.1 TO is at least decent for a PG, and he's playing PF! Durant averaged like 1.5 apg in college.

 

[superrific]

I understand how Durant is invoked in a Flagg conversation, I just don’t see it. Durant was a more fluid athlete with a larger repertoire of setups and shot angles, better shooter, and rebounded at a higher rate. Flagg is a more physical player with better court vision, at the age. I see Flagg’s upper end as Jason Tatum/Paul George, with a floor of Aaron Gordon-ish.

I said they were comparable talents, not that their games are all that similar. Patrick compared them as players. Like you, that comparison doesn't jump off the charts to me -- but we're also probably thinking of prime Durant, or at least NBA Durant. I don't really remember college Durant. Durant's rookie season in the NBA was a bit rocky . . .

 

[superrific]

FWIW, Dunleavy was the 3rd pick in the draft so there were at least some NBA talent evaluators who thought he was pretty good...

world of difference between #3 and unanimously #1 with most people thinking it's not even close. Plus, IIRC, Dunleavy was considered a reach pick.

 

[Bigs23]

I guess we'll see.

Cooper Flagg Gets Kevin Durant, LeBron James Comparison From Jay Bilas After Huge Game vs. No. 2 Ranked Team

The Duke Blue Devils atoned for their loss to the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks earlier this season with a win over No. 2 Auburn on Wednesday in a game that saw 17-year-old superstar Cooper Flagg do a little bit of everything at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

www.yardbarker.com

And Kevin Durant seemed to think Flagg was comparable, saying that he was going to be one of the best players in the NBA.

He might be but KD is one of the best ever.

 

[superrific]

He might be but KD is one of the best ever.

True. And I don't know of anyone who would be banking on the idea that Cooper Flagg will reach that level.

On the other hand, it does happen that rookies come into the league and are very soon as good as the established stars. Wemby, for instance. If Wemby stays healthy, he is almost surely going to be one of the best ever, if not the best ever (by healthy, I'm including avoiding Ben Simmons or Markelle Fultz style mental collapses).

 

[DiehardHeelFan]

He's going to be better than Banchero. He's basically better at everything and is younger at the same point in their careers.

I know he said the best prospect since Durant. That seems like a favorable comparison. Not favorable as in "better" but favorable as in "we can put these guys in the same sentence." And look, nobody is going to say "this guy is better than Durant," because that type of shit went out in the 90s when countless "next MJs" fizzled, perhaps in part because of the pressure of those expectations. Even Lebron, who was better than Jordan at the same age, was billed as "the best prospect since MJ."

I don't know -- it just seems to me that Flagg can do everything. And that's what's surprising. We knew about his athleticism. We knew about his defense. But his shooting has been better than expected and his playmaking is really impressive. I mean, 4.2 apg versus 2.1 TO is at least decent for a PG, and he's playing PF! Durant averaged like 1.5 apg in college.

No, he compared Flagg to recruits since Durant, not to Durant himself.

Banchero’s numbers for his one season at dook are comparable. Both made it to the final four and lost and both will be #1 picks. Their games aren’t too different.