Paul George Compares Cooper Flagg to Michael Beasley: Duke Star Has the Ultimate Game

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has already established himself as a candidate to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and ahead of his first collegiate season, Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George gave him an NBA comparison.

On his podcast, Podcast P with Paul George Presented by Wave + Entertainment, George compared Flagg to a player who showed signs of stardom early on but spent most of his career as a role player.

"He kind of has a little Michael Beasley," George said (59:10 mark). "At that size, can score, can play make, super talented, just a game-changer. I don't think people speak enough about how good Michael Beasley was, or is. I still see clips to this day of him just doing crazy s--t online... I think the world of Cooper Flagg, man. I think he's got the ultimate game."

Beasley, whose last NBA season was in 2018-19, averaged 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds over the course of his career, with his best season coming in 2010-11 when he put up 19.2 points and 5.5 boards with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Flagg, like Beasley, stands at 6'9" and seems to have the ball-handling and playmaking skills of a guard, which is likely why George compared to two.

While Beasley had a solid career, Flagg is likely hoping for more success, especially given the hype surrounding him. The Montverde Academy prospect joins the collegiate ranks after being named the No. 1 player in the nation by 247Sports Composite.

This offseason, he was a member of the USA Basketball Select Team where he played against NBA stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and more. Needless to say, that's pretty good preparation for college basketball.

After an offseason of hype, Flagg will now look to live up to the expectations with the Blue Devils.