Lakers coach JJ Redick shares an interesting Cooper Flagg comparison

The Duke Blue Devils couldn’t take care of business when it mattered the most. Despite a strong performance, Cooper Flagg fell short with a missed potential go-ahead jumper down the stretch.

Now, the Maine native is fully expected to declare for the 2025 NBA Draft. More than that, he’s also expected to be the first player taken off the board during the event.

When asked about him, fellow Duke star J.J. Redick, who’s currently coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, went out of his way to compare him to another former All-Star: Luol Deng.

J.J. Redick says Cooper Flagg reminds him of Luol Deng

“I think he’s already cemented himself as a Duke legend. I really mean that. I think just in terms of his impact on winning on both ends of the floor,” said Redick. “It’s hard for me to think of another freshman who has done that. I played with a guy my sophomore year, Luol Deng, who was our best player on a Final Four team and I think Cooper’s season has surpassed Luol’s and Luol made two All-Star games and had a terrific NBA career. I think the biggest thing that stands out is, he’s talented, but he plays so hard. He’s a rare breed. I’d put all my chips on him.”

Of course, Deng was never a superstar, but he was always a very serviceable player. So, if that’s Flagg’s ceiling, as underwhelming as it might sound, it’s still pretty decent.

Some have compared Flagg to Kevin Garnett because of his size and defensive prowess. At the end of the day, however, each player is unique, and it’ll be interesting to see how far he can go in the league.