“He Is Better Than Giannis”: Ex-Celtics Star Makes Bold Cooper Flagg Take

A year ago, an 18-year-old Cooper Flagg went right at Giannis Antetokounmpo and scored 26 points in a two-point loss to the Bucks. Now former NBA guard Evan Turner says the matchup has flipped.

Flagg and Giannis met again on Oct. 26, this time with Giannis in a Miami Heat jersey. Both finished with 29 points and 11 assists, but Flagg’s Mavericks won 113-109. After watching it, Turner didn’t hedge.

"When I saw it, I said, man, he is better than Giannis. Giannis is in old school attack mode, and Cooper was on some chill, I know how to win type. Did you feel that? He was almost like, 'Wait, I know how to win,'" Turner said.

He made the comparison on Sports Illustrated's Open Floor show.

Turner said Flagg's night could have been even bigger. "Hey, I was skeptical, bro, but Cooper… He could have had 40-something," he said. Flagg's 11 assists went to six different Mavericks, which Turner took as evidence that Flagg was choosing to set up teammates. Flagg turned it on late, scoring 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. With Dallas up two and 31 seconds left, he blocked Andrew Wiggins’ go-ahead three. Then he drove past Wiggins and scored over Giannis to put the Mavericks up four with 10 seconds to play.

What impressed Turner most was how grown Flagg looked. “He’s dominant, bro. He’s a man out there,” Turner said. “He’s 19, bro, that s**t looked crazy. Shoutout to Cooper.”

The age gap makes the comparison more eye-catching. Flagg was 19 years and 309 days old on the night of the game, 12 years younger than Antetokounmpo. It was also Antetokounmpo's first triple-double with the Heat, so the Miami game was not a quiet night for him either.

Flagg won Rookie of the Year last season and has taken his game to another level in his second year. Through five games, he’s averaging 26.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists. According to a stat shared on X, he and LeBron James are the only teenagers to record at least 100 points, 20 rebounds, and 25 assists through the first four games of a season.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon suggested before last season that Flagg could have a similar experience to Antetokounmpo's early career under Jason Kidd, who used a point-forward role for both, a comparison that now looks like a reasonable starting point.

The case against Turner's claim is also clear. One report noted that Flagg is a superstar in the making but still has a lot to learn and achieve before he can be spoken about in the same breath as Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP and a one-time champion.

The two sides now fit together. Turner's argument is that Flagg looked more in control than Antetokounmpo, who was in "attack mode," while Flagg seemed to choose when to take over. That is an assessment of how he played, not a resume comparison, and it comes from an analyst who has been vocal about both players.

For Dallas, the useful point is that a teenager looked comfortable opposite one of the league's best. Whether he is already better than Giannis Antetokounmpo is something the season, and not a single game in Miami, will answer.