The Path Forward If Cooper Flagg Doesn't Become A Number 1 Option

On the off-chance that Cooper Flagg fails to live up to his vast potential, then what?

Oct 4, 2024; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles the ball against forward Mason Gillis (18) with the ball during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images / Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg is viewed as a can't-miss prospect, who at present is as close to a lock for the first overall pick next season. It makes sense. He's incredibly athletic, his defense is top-shelf for any prospect, and his ball-handling is a legitimate weapon. 

However, it might be time to play devil's advocate, solely for the purpose of team building, from when he hits the NBA.

Essentially, the following scenario is based off the idea that Flagg never becomes much of a shooter.

There are players in the NBA, such as Julius Randle, that are difficult to build around. They're not plug-and-play players, who can seemingly be installed at ease into an offense. Instead, the offense has to be tailored to them to get the optimal amount of output from them. 

Trae Young, and even Paolo Banchero, also fit this category. Orlando literally had to flank Banchero with 3-and-D players to optimize his game, as the ball has to go through him a fair amount.

Let's assume the case will be similar for Flagg, in that his offensive efficiency, and lack of floor-spacing, simply cannot justify placing him as the first option. 

How would a team, under this hypothetical, be able to incorporate the Duke product?

It all starts with how Flagg moves off the ball, and whether he can be effectively set up on a consistent basis. Let's go back to the Carmelo Anthony days. Anthony was productive not only due to his capacity of he creating off the dribble, but because he could shoot. 

He wasn't a player who would routinely move well without the ball, but since his scoring capabilities were so vast, it never became much of an issue that he was holding the ball for as long as he did, simply due to the fact that he could facilitate something out of nothing. 

If Flagg doesn't become a spacer, and thus won't have the luxury of creating something out of thin air like Anthony, it becomes crucial he never stands still. At 6-foot-9, it's all about putting that size and athleticism to good use.

Basically, Flagg will have to be used as a new-age Amar'e Stoudemire, constantly cutting towards the rim, pressuring the interior defense, and having to be set up by playmakers.

(Heck, even if Flagg becomes everything he's advertised as, he'll need an elite playmaker to get his game opened up.) 

Of course, with Flagg's ball-handling, he should see more opportunities than Stoudemire, based off the fact that he can manipulate the defense off his dribble. 

What teams should monitor, during his upcoming year at Duke, is now he plays off the movement of others. Being optimistic about Flagg hitting his potential is fine, but scouts can't afford to lean into the hype. Their job, literally, is to find faults, weaknesses, and crooks and crannies wherein he will need to improve.

Seeing how Flagg plays off Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, and even Kon Knueppel, will be a big indicator of how he could be installed into an NBA offense, should he never be able to justify becoming a real first option.

Additionally, identifying how Flagg generates his own offense, within a team structure, and without going rogue, is also crucial. No player is assisted on 100% of his shots, and Flagg will be no exception. If - under this hypothetical - he isn't a floor-spacer, how will he attack defenses that pack the paint, and drops back? 

Will he try to bulldoze them like Giannis Antetokounmpo? Will he be able to call for, and use, inverted screen action from shooters to give him a downhill opportunity?

Basically, the overarching question is: How will Flagg think his way out of situations? 

Mind you, this isn't a piece proposing Flagg will fall flat on his expectations. If anything, this is a thought experiment of how the teenager can approach the next year of development, and how he can overcome certain challenges, should they arise. 

If Flagg become a perfectly reasonable shooter, and he balances being the primary scorer but secondary creator, not dissimilar to how Victor Wembanyama operates in San Antonio, everything is likely to be fine. 

But on the off-chance he enters the NBA as an archetype difficult to build around, it never hurts to have a plan mapped out in advance. Just in case. 

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

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