Ace Bailey > Cooper Flagg (This level and the next)
- Thread starter ThroughBlue
- Start date
Both are basically averaging 20 and 8. Flagg does a better job at getting his team involved; but at 6’10” and 42% three, Ace is legit good. Can’t go wrong with either really. Long term I’d probably take Cooper, give him the space in the league and he’s crazy. Then again, same could be said for Ace, although I’d trust Flagg handles more. Hard one.
Cooper is younger, Cooper is a much better defensive player, Cooper gets his teammates involved more.
Scoring is probably a wash but overall it ain't very close.
As for at this level...Cooper is the best player on a national title contender. Ace is the best (or maybe 2nd best) player on a team that might not make the NIT.
Bailey is a stud, I watched their game and he makes pro shots and is more athletic. I’d take him. Both will be very good, but Bailey looks like KD when he’s cooking.
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I’ve only seen Bailey once when the played Alabama, but I was impressed with him other than some bouts of questionable shot selection. Is he better than Flagg? I’m not sure. For as much as some people here want to insist that Flagg is some kind of media creation that we’d never hear about if he didn’t play for Duke, he’s been on scouts’ radars for years now. He’s legitimately a good prospect.
4 months. Not like they are much different on age. I agreed in my post that CF gets his team involved. Cooper has more balance to work with at Duke, with a much better system and coach. Ace is more athletic. Both can take over a game. Like I said, can’t go wrong with either, but to say it ain’t very close is weird.
Switch them places and Bailey looks like Texas Kevin Durant
To be fair, Cooper has better teammates to get involved. Which is also why they are a contender and Rutgers isn’t.
That’s who he reminds me of. Maybe not the rebounder KD was, but offensively similar.
Wonder how Rutgers likes their foray into the one and done game . Pretty bad season so far . It’s not as easy as it seems .
I’m taking Flagg, he has a better all-around game. He could end up being more Andrei Kirilenko than Jayson Tatum…but there’s a lot to like.
The best thing about Flagg is you know you are going to get the effort on both ends of the court. Dude plays extremely hard and will get better offensively. Neither of them have a great handle. Bailey needs to learn how to be a better passer and playmaker. Think Bailey has the higher upside and KD like ability to be an isolation scorer that is so important in the NBA today.
Would take Flagg as he is the safer pick but actually think he is more suited to the 1990s or 2000s NBA.
Would take Flagg as he is the safer pick but actually think he is more suited to the 1990s or 2000s NBA.
If by "best player" we're talking about who would have the biggest impact on winning basketball games now (and regardless of what team he was on), then I think it's Flagg in a runaway. Freshmen make so many plays that hurt a team that an upperclassman wouldn't make. And, as we've witnessed, Flagg is not immune to that either, but I've been impressed by his game as a freshman. Bailey not so much. Oh, I see the "talent" (i.e., potential upside in the future). But I also see the negative impact on winning from Bailey. Yeah, to just look at some of his stats you might think he's great – which he may be talent wise or someday in his pro career – but not in regard to winning CBB games today. You can’t just look at scoring stats and determine how well he’s helping his team win. You have to look at efficiency and opportunity costs. For example, does he dominate the ball to the point the rest of the team becomes stagnant? Does he make the right plays most of the time, or take shots simply because he thinks he can make it? Who cares if a player can make “tough” shots when he’s got no business taking tough shots to begin with? Bailey too often is aimlessly dribbling and playing with the ball all for the purpose of hunting a shot - any shot - and from what I’ve seen they’re often bad shots. He plays more minutes than anybody on that team by far, has the ball constantly in his hands and yet averages 0.8 assists a game - which is very telling.
Bailey makes so many negative plays I would 100% not want him starting at UK – either at PF (which is what he is currently) or SF (what he thinks he is) - unless the coach seriously constrained him. Yes, he is indeed very talented and will be a lottery pick and may develop into a good/great NBA player. But so what? They don’t award games in college for that. Opinions may differ, but personally I'd take Flagg over Bailey every day and twice on Sunday if I'm interested in winning CBB games today.
Bailey makes so many negative plays I would 100% not want him starting at UK – either at PF (which is what he is currently) or SF (what he thinks he is) - unless the coach seriously constrained him. Yes, he is indeed very talented and will be a lottery pick and may develop into a good/great NBA player. But so what? They don’t award games in college for that. Opinions may differ, but personally I'd take Flagg over Bailey every day and twice on Sunday if I'm interested in winning CBB games today.
Cooper has more talent around him than Bailey does, yet still leads Duke in Points, Rebounds, assists, Steals, and blocks. No way Bailey could do that.
I dont watch much basketball outside UK.
I had to Google who this guy was and who he played for.
I had to Google who this guy was and who he played for.
