‘Not an Iso Scorer Like (Kevin Durant)’: Cooper Flagg Loses Ground as Auburn Star Joins $2M NIL Rival in Heated NPOY Race

December is here and conversations about the National Player of the Year have already begun. With Auburn, Marquette and UConn dominating as usual, Duke has also slipped in, thanks to freshman star Cooper Flagg. But never mind how impressive the 17-year-old all-rounder has been, analysts have another name for who will win the Naismith honor this year.

On The Field of 68: After Dark, John Fanta and Tyler Hansbrough discuss the NPOY race, and for Hansbrough, the front-runner is Auburn’s Johni Broome.

“I think Auburn — you’ve got to give them credit right now, they won the Maui Invitational, they’ve had key wins. Houston’s a big win against them. He’s averaging 20 (points), close to 12 (rebounds) and 3 assists. And he’s playing very efficient basketball. It’s not like he’s forcing shots or chasing stats. I think he’s playing the best right now .”

Broome was named an AP preseason All-American, becoming the first Auburn player to do so since 1999. Bleacher Report analyst Jonathan Wasserman even named him in a mock draft for the Washington Wizards, praising his improved three-pointers, passing skills and defensive presence.

Next, he named Kam Jones, valued at $2 million for NIL per On3as a player who could get close to Broome, claim that he was “one of my favorite players to watch.” Currently, the senior guard is averaging 20 points on 58.6% shooting with 4.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. match.

“I think Kam Jones is a guy that impacts the game in other areas, just away from scoring. I think defensively, just the way he moves and controls a game outside of scoring is just incredible, and he deserves a lot of credit.

But later in the podcast, the conversation moves to the Duke standout, who former Blue Devil and popular broadcaster Jay Bilas compared to Kevin Durant last week after also naming LeBron James. While Bilas praised him for his maturity, which is not often seen in 17-year-olds, Hansbrough had a different thought.

“To me, KD is a much better Iso scorer even though they have a similar build and Cooper Flagg impacts the game in other areas that KD doesn’t, he’s not an Iso scorer like KD.” concluded the former NBA player. Durant is one of the best players who can create isolation and attack his defenders dominantly. However, we have yet to see much of a similar playstyle when it comes to Flagg.

How each of these players will fare in the season and who will ultimately grab the NPOY remains to be seen. But Flagg and Durant have another connection, where the NBA player couldn’t help but praise the future star.

Kevin Durant on the “veteran” Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg and Kevin Durant almost had a chance to play together in a game when Team USA vs. Team Select in July. But the Suns star missed out through injury; nevertheless, he saw the then-Duke in action and was left impressed by the expected no. 1 Draft pick.

“He looked like a he-of-a-player. Someone who only gets better with more experience. 17-year-old comes in here and plays like he’s almost a vet. No emotions. Just go out there and do his job. It’s a good sign,” KD gushed.

Even Kevin Garnett labeled him as having “superstar potential.” For Boston Celtics fan Flagg, it was a huge compliment and he called it “surreal”. Aside from KD, other NBA veterans like LeBron James have also praised the then high schooler as he locked horns against Team USA before they flew out to Paris.

It’s only his first year in college and he’s averaging a decent 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds on 42.9% shooting from the field, but the possibilities are endless. What he is expected to achieve and the reputation he will establish four years from now in the NBA, Cooper Flagg will have a lot of other compliments from big names to carry.