Former NBA Guard Makes Shocking Cooper Flagg Comparison

Former NBA Guard Tony Allen recently made a shocking Cooper Flagg comparison. Allen, 43, voiced his skepticism of Flagg, 18, in a recent appearance on “The Chris Vernon Show” podcast. Read on for the former NBA player that Allen compared Flagg to.

Former NBA Guard Makes Comparison

Unlike most other people, Allen made a comparison between Cooper Flagg and former NBA Forward Andrei Kirilenko. In case you didn’t know, Kirilenko, 44, played professional basketball from 1997 to 2015, primarily for the Utah Jazz between 2001 and 2011. Kirilenko was selected 24th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft.

Allen said on “The Chris Vernon Show“ podcast, “I don’t think Cooper Flagg’s going to turn a franchise around like that … I ain’t seeing KD [Kevin Durant]. I’m just not seeing all that. I’m seeing Andrei Kirilenko.” Allen’s statement drew immediate backlash from some fans and media members, but Allen might be correct. Flagg might not transform the Dallas Mavericks in the near future.

Flagg re-classified to play one season for the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team after playing for the USA Basketball Select Team. At Duke, Flagg averaged 19.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, while shooting 48.1% from the field, 38.5% from the three-point line, and 84% from the free throw line. Flagg’s maturity, both on and off the court, arguably separates him from his fellow NBA prospects.

Former NBA Guard Career Stats

Allen recently voiced his skepticism about Cooper Flagg’s ceiling in a recent appearance on “The Chris Vernon Show” podcast. Allen, a six-time NBA All-Defensive Team member, enjoyed an NBA career spanning from 2004 to 2018. Allen became a 2008 NBA Champion after the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

Allen averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, while shooting 47.5% from the field, 28.2% from the three-point line, and 70.9% from the free throw line. In total, Allen played in 820 games during his 14-year NBA career.

Final Thoughts

Allen has a right to voice his opinion about Cooper Flagg and anyone. Allen didn’t appear to predict that Flagg would fail, whether the Dallas Mavericks select the latter or not. Allen’s comparison of Flagg to Kirilenko isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Kirilenko was a valuable two-way player with an abundance of blocks and steals when he played in the NBA, but arguably not a spark to transform a pretender into a contender.

Allen’s opinion about Flagg might give the public’s minds a reality check. If the Mavericks select Flagg with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the 18-year-old will likely team up with fellow Duke alum Dereck Lively II. The Mavericks seem to be searching for their next star, but Flagg might not meet the Mavericks’ expectations. We’ll see what happens.