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Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz, basketball analyst Isis ‘Ice’ Young and 13-year NBA veteran Marcus Morris Sr. discuss how the Duke star can move forward following his team’s devastating loss in the Final Four and prepare for the next stage of his career.
Two things can be true.
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Cooper flag can be a phenom that had an incredible season, and the disappointing end to that season can also be acknowledged.
So now, guys, we have to take a look at what Cooper’s done versus what he’s going to do.
Ice, when you see the way his career ended, is there some concern?
Is that how do you feel about Cooper moving forward?
Yeah, I don’t believe there’s any concern because of the way he matured throughout the season.
I mean, this is a young man that came in, not 18 years old, 17 years old in college basketball, led Duke to a final.
led them in points, rebounds, steals, assists.
I’m not sure what else Duke could have asked of him and so he matured at such a high level for me that from the college standpoint, from a college game, it was fantastic to watch and honestly there were so many high expectations.
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You didn’t know if he would succeed, but he blew them out of the water.
Man, let’s be clear, like he was the best player in college basketball like his size, his versatility, the way he can see the floor this was the first game and I told Jason this earlier in the game I said.
He doesn’t do well with like wings that have length that have size that’s physical.
It’d be interesting to see him in the next level where he’s planning his guys that’s always his size on a night and night basis, right?
When we were talking during the game, I was like they’re really successful at getting switches with Kubrick and back down and get to the mid range, but.
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At the next level it won’t be the same right?
so this was the first time when I seen just small cracks of like being more physical with him getting guys with limp on him that he really couldn’t be as successful as he’s been like throughout the season and even in the NCAA tournament.
I do think guys there’s a fair point here.
I, he’s not a finished product and and because of his greatness we wanna make him a finished product, but he’s a kid that’s about to go play against a bunch of adults like that’s a much different world.
Yeah, I mean there’s there’s more of.
More growth and more maturity that has to happen for him at the next level.
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You talk about the physicality, the size, even understanding the game, right?
You’re not always going to see double teams at the next level like you were here in college because you are undoubtedly the best player on the court.
Uh, I think it’s gonna be interesting to seeing what his defense looks like at the next level.
I don’t know about y’all, but we talked so much about him scoring and facilitating, but he also is a very good defender who’s active.
Yeah, he’s definitely a good defender that goes back to his length, right, his length and his strength, but.
Can he come back for another year to get stronger as you mentioned, he was 17 coming into college, right?
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The NBA is not going anywhere.
He don’t wanna go to the Washington Wizards, I’m assuming, right?
Like I mean that’s a fair that’s a fair question, right?
Like if you’re weighing another year at Duke and in an NIL world we’re not talking about a free year you get another year at Duke versus Washington.
And you might be unfinished business, right?
as a college athlete, hey, we were, I’m burning up.
I’m burning up everybody come back real quick.
Yeah, and I believe that like I was looking at him walking off the court and I’m like, is he done?
Like one of these, like if he win there’s no question, right?
But then when you have a team that young that was that successful, when you say everybody can come back and I don’t think draft changes I. I think he’s the number one pick if he comes back.
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Kyle Kup who is still a lottery pick and uh Mali Todd, a big guy, I think he’s still a lottery pick, right?
Do they come back and just run it back again and then maybe next year we’re having the same conversation?
One of the most phenomenal things about Cooper Flag to me will always be that sitting in this dome with 60,000 people, everybody thought he was gonna make that shot.
That’s a statement to how great it was whether the shot went in or not.
