There’s a natural doubt around anyone touted to be one of the best in basketball, but Cooper Flagg has more yeasayers than naysayers. When ESPN’s Jeremy Woo talked to NBA executives about his chances in the pro league next year, most couldn’t help but admit their excitement to see him. His Pandora’s box of skills that will only improve as he grows make him a well-rounded player that the Blue Devils are currently making full use of. But are things as easy for Duke as they seem?

Not everyone thinks so. The school is on the path to going undefeated in the ACC but discussing the limitations that the current team faces, Terrence Oglesby first praises the team.

Imagining what coach Jon Scheyer would want for Christmas, Oglesby jokes, “It’s like asking Jeff Bezos what you want for Christmas. There’s not a whole lot you can do for the man. When you have an embarrassment of riches at every single position, I think you need to fast forward and continue doing what you’ve been doing offensively.”

Duke is currently off to a 3-0 start on the road for the first time under third-year coach Scheyer. The Blue Devils’ star freshman may not be a flashy player but he helps the offense more than most.

Leading the team in scoring with 16.3 ppg, 8.6 rebounding, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks through 12 games, Flagg is helped by Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor.

But they still seem to keep the ball in their hands more than many would like them to. As Oglesby points out. “A little ball movement in order to get the ball moving, then the defense moving, and then you look at what Cooper Flagg can do against a closeout. We haven’t really seen that all that much, so if I had to do something, I’m dropping a little hot potato right there in Jon Scheyer’s stocking. That’s where I’m going this Christmas.”

According to KenPom, Duke leads the country in defensive efficiency, and through 12 games, the school is fifth in field-goal percentage defense (35.5%) and eighth in scoring defense (58.5 points per game).

The website also calls Duke the nation’s tallest team with an average height of 79.6 inches, and the Blue Devils have taken advantage of every tool in their athletic arsenal. Even so, Rob Dauster is not convinced they’re taking easy buckets the way they should.

“They gotta find a way to make things a little bit easier, whether it’s different sets that they’re gonna run offensively to try to get some easy looks,” Dauster says.

“Or a point guard that will be able to make life easier for Cooper Flagg. I just feel like a lot of what they do is one-on-one stuff…it feels like a lot of shots that they hit are tough shots as opposed to getting easy buckets.”

Scheyer will have some time after the holidays to whip his team into better shape if such a thing is even possible. If this does end up being Flagg’s first and only college season, the coach will make use of his talents however he can. And if he does end up in the NBA in 2025, there’s not a lot of chance for him to fail, most believe.

Even if Cooper Flagg couldn’t score, he would be a top-10 pick, says NBA exec

As we just established, Cooper Flagg leads the Blue Devils in scoring and makes his presence known on the court. But what truly makes him a good player is his versatility in ball handling, including steals, rebounds, and blocks. In his first 10 games, the 6’9″ guard averaged 9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks.

“If he couldn’t score a lick and was just a finisher and transition guy, he’d still be a top-10 pick,” one NBA Eastern Conference general manager told Jeremy Woo.

Similarly, one veteran scout said, “There’s not many guys with a combination of size, mobility, skill and basketball IQ. A lot of high-level prospects have two or three … [Flagg has] all of them. His versatility defensively is elite, the way he changes the game on that end.”

It helps Flagg’s case that he has won at every stop and proven his consistency on the college stage time and again. Duke might just be a short stop for him on the way to the pros, which many believe Flagg is ready to play in already. But as long as he’s the Blue Devils No. 2, Flagg will glean whatever knowledge he can and help Duke win this season.