Cooper Flagg has shades of Jayson Tatum but could develop into Breanna Stewart or Pascal Siakam. Pic credit: (Getty)
Comparisons have become a staple of draft coverage across all sports. They’re an easy way for fans to understand a player’s strengths, weaknesses and potential ceiling. But comparisons can be more harmful than they are useful, misleading folks given how unique each player is.
When making comparisons, are we comparing a prospect to a current pro or how that pro looked in college? Is the comparison based on playstyle, impact, implicit biases or something else? Do the comparisons make sense based on the draft position?
Just like most prospects, comparisons for Cooper Flagg can be tough to devise. Most of the widespread comparisons miss the mark wildly, either due to aesthetic and availability biases or a lack of specificity. We’ll often need multiple players to form a cogent prospect comparison.
