Cooper Flagg has proven he can just about do it all for the Duke basketball team but there has been one area of his game that has struggled through the early part of the season — 3-point shooting.
Flagg is averaging 16.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game on 44.2-percent shooting from the field yet only connecting on 22.2-percent (4-for-18) of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The lone game where his shooting truly hurt the Blue Devils was in its loss against Kentucky, a game in which he went 1-for-5 from deep. Flagg’s shooting woes even date back to the preseason when he made just 3-of-10 attempts during Countdown to Craziness and exhibition games against Lincoln (Pa.) and Arizona State.
It makes the top ranked rookie in the country a 25-percent (7-for-28) 3-point shooter while wearing a Duke uniform in the preseason and regular season.
The emphasis on Cooper Flagg being a capable shooter has an effect on the rest of the team because of how opponents will guard him. He’s so dangerous when putting the ball on the floor and trying to get to the basket, teams will play significantly off of him and dare him to beat them by shooting. It will clog driving lanes for other players on the Blue Devils to get to the rim, as seen in the final minute against the Wildcats.
Obviously, shooting is also a major evaluation tool that NBA teams will determine who is the No. 1 pick in June’s draft. It’s such a vital weapon in how the game is played currently.
Paolo Banchero, Duke’s last No. 1 overall pick, was a respectable 3-point shooter during his only college season, connecting on 33.8-percent of his attempts. Those numbers have translated to the next level where he is a career 32.2-percent shooter from distance.
If Flagg is able to emulate those numbers, it would make the Blue Devils even more of a dangerous offensive team.
The competition is going to get much tougher for Cooper Flagg and No. 12 Duke, beginning on Friday night against No. 19 Arizona followed by No. 1 Kansas on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and teams with much better athletes could prove to be difficult matchups for the superstar freshman if the shooting numbers remain the same.
