With the college basketball season down to four teams, people in NBA circles all have their attention on one player in particular.
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has been tabbed as the next great American prospect, and has lived up to the billing throughout his season in Durham. He has helped lead the team to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, while also being named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and also won the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
His being announced as the top pick in the NBA draft is seemingly a formality at this point, but he is still far from a perfect player. In a recent ESPN report, one Western Conference executive revealed his "top concern" about Flagg, citing worries about his performance in clutch time.
"The question about Flagg has always been: How deep is his bag as a shot creator," asked the executive. "Is he a guy who can go get you a bucket in the late clock? Can you run your offense through him and expect him to be a go-to guy in money time?. Early in the season, I would have said no. He was at his best in the mid-post. There was a lot of bully ball, jump stops and spin moves. He was primarily looking to get to his pull-up when his first move was cut off. It looked a little bit mechanical, a little predetermined."
Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2).
Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2).
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Outside of the team's 100-93 Sweet 16 victory against Arizona, Duke has won by an average of 29 points, so there haven't been too many moments for Flagg to display his clutch gene during the NCAA Tournament. However, in that close win over the Wildcats, he did finish with 30 points, six boards, seven assists and three blocks.
According to ESPN BET, Duke is favored by just 5.5 points against the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars on Saturday, which means the game may come down to Flagg having the ball in his hands in crunch time. If he can pull through, he could very well silence the one significant doubt that teams have
On the contrary, a costly mistake could lead to further questions.