Del Harris says Cooper Flagg is the most ready rookie since Kobe
Del Harris has seen enough elite talent to speak with authority, so when the veteran coach places Cooper Flagg in the same “NBA-ready” tier as a young Kobe Bryant, it lands with real weight across the league. Harris’ assessment, that Flagg is the most prepared rookie prospect since Kobe, instantly elevates expectations around the 6‑foot‑8 forward and sharpens the spotlight on his transition to the pros.
The comparison is not about style. Kobe entered the league as a dynamic perimeter scorer and budding shot-maker, while Flagg projects as a modern two-way forward, built on versatility, defensive instincts, and a developing all-court offensive game. What Harris is really pointing to is readiness: the blend of physical tools, advanced feel, competitiveness, and professional approach that tends to separate immediate impact players from long-term projects.
Around the NBA, “ready” is a loaded word. It suggests a teenager who can handle the schedule, the physicality, and the mental grind without needing years of insulation. Flagg’s reputation fits that profile. Scouts have long praised his timing as a help defender, his willingness to embrace contact, and a motor that rarely dips. In an era that prizes switchable defenders and decision-makers who can play on or off the ball, he checks a lot of modern boxes.
Invoking Kobe naturally raises the stakes. Bryant’s early years were not free of mistakes, but his competitiveness and fearlessness translated quickly, and his development curve was steep. For Flagg, the bar Harris sets is less about matching Kobe’s eventual greatness and more about being ready to contribute meaningfully from day one, on both ends of the floor.
League executives will be careful not to overreact to any single endorsement, even one from a respected figure like Harris. Yet when a longtime NBA voice frames Flagg’s readiness in historic terms, it crystallizes how front offices view him: not merely as a high-upside prospect, but as a potential franchise cornerstone who may arrive with fewer training wheels than most.
The comparison is not about style. Kobe entered the league as a dynamic perimeter scorer and budding shot-maker, while Flagg projects as a modern two-way forward, built on versatility, defensive instincts, and a developing all-court offensive game. What Harris is really pointing to is readiness: the blend of physical tools, advanced feel, competitiveness, and professional approach that tends to separate immediate impact players from long-term projects.
Around the NBA, “ready” is a loaded word. It suggests a teenager who can handle the schedule, the physicality, and the mental grind without needing years of insulation. Flagg’s reputation fits that profile. Scouts have long praised his timing as a help defender, his willingness to embrace contact, and a motor that rarely dips. In an era that prizes switchable defenders and decision-makers who can play on or off the ball, he checks a lot of modern boxes.
Invoking Kobe naturally raises the stakes. Bryant’s early years were not free of mistakes, but his competitiveness and fearlessness translated quickly, and his development curve was steep. For Flagg, the bar Harris sets is less about matching Kobe’s eventual greatness and more about being ready to contribute meaningfully from day one, on both ends of the floor.
League executives will be careful not to overreact to any single endorsement, even one from a respected figure like Harris. Yet when a longtime NBA voice frames Flagg’s readiness in historic terms, it crystallizes how front offices view him: not merely as a high-upside prospect, but as a potential franchise cornerstone who may arrive with fewer training wheels than most.
