O’Brien says Flagg is comparable, in some methods, to Chicken

Dave O’Brien was a excessive schooler in Keene, N.H., throughout the beginnings of the Celtics’ Nineteen Eighties heyday, so he’s effectively conscious it’s borderline blasphemous to check any younger basketball participant to Larry Chicken — and maybe the phrase borderline isn’t even needed.

So O’Brien, the voice of NESN’s Crimson Sox broadcasts who within the baseball offseason calls school basketball video games for ESPN and the ACC Community, proceeds with correct warning when requested if Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg reminds him of anybody he has seen earlier than.

“Properly, you possibly can’t examine anybody, actually, to Larry Chicken,’’ stated O’Brien, who has known as a half-dozen Duke video games this season, and has a number of extra on the docket. “Larry stands alone for lots of causes, and it’s not honest to check any younger participant, irrespective of how promising, to him. Let’s make that clear.

“However …”

O’Brien laughs.

“However, a lot of Cooper’s sport actually is comparable. He’s an incredible passer, he scores, he rebounds, he’s unselfish however he takes over video games when the second requires it. He’s trying to make the go initially each time or the skip go that results in an help. He’s nice at that too, nice at simply seeing the sport.

“There are variations, in fact, some vital ones, but it surely’s that selfless strategy greater than anything that’s related.

“What watching Cooper actually does is make you surprise what Larry should have appeared like as an 18-year-old participant.”

Flagg, the Newport, Maine native and projected No. 1 decide within the 2025 NBA Draft (control the manipulations of that artful Ainge fella in Utah), has lived as much as the advance discover after which some throughout his freshman season.

Heading into Saturday evening’s matchup with rival North Carolina, Duke ranked No. 2 within the nation with a 17-2 document, together with 14 consecutive victories. Flagg, who turned 18 in January, has been the Blue Devils’ engine, averaging team-highs of 19.9 factors, 8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists whereas taking part in relentless protection.

O’Brien has known as most of Flagg’s greatest moments, together with a hellacious dunk in opposition to Pitt that went viral and an ACC freshman-record 42-point efficiency in opposition to Notre Dame.

“Which may have been the dunk of the yr in school basketball,’’ stated O’Brien, “after which he follows it up the subsequent sport with 42. That was the week he actually exploded.

“He’d had such a superb yr to that time, however that week it was nearly like, ‘I’m even higher than I’ve proven up to now, and I’m about to indicate you why.’ I believe it was that week the place individuals who possibly weren’t that accustomed to him but realized, ‘Oh, boy, it’s all true. We’ve obtained a generational participant on our palms.’”

O’Brien known as Duke’s 88-63 win at Boston School on Jan. 18, and stated he’d by no means seen an environment fairly like that at Conte Discussion board.

“Half of the state of Maine was there. It was the most well liked ticket within the metropolis,’’ stated O’Brien. “A scene like which may have been overwhelming for some younger gamers. You understand, ‘the entire world is right here to see me. These are the folks I grew up with.’ However not for Cooper. He goes for 28 factors and is the entire present. He’s at his greatest in these conditions.

“And let me let you know, I believe the BC followers realized that chanting ‘overrated!’ at him in all probability wasn’t their greatest technique. That ended up being gasoline for him. It was outstanding to see.”

O’Brien will probably be again at his summer time job quickly sufficient. This will probably be his nineteenth season calling Crimson Sox video games total and tenth on NESN.

NESN plans to announce its full broadcast roster in February, however as reported right here beforehand, Lou Merloni is ready to be the principle analyst, bringing much-needed continuity with at the very least 100 video games within the NESN sales space.

“I’m actually enthusiastic about doing a number of video games with Lou,’’ stated O’Brien. “I believe the time is correct for him and the timing is nice for him.”

O’Brien stated he likes the enhancements the Crimson Sox have made to their pitching employees with the additions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler, however believes the offense wants so as to add another righthanded bat.

“I’m proper there with everyone else on that,’’ he stated. “We want one. Let’s go get one.

Which means Alex Bregman, the longtime Astros third baseman and Alex Cora favourite who continues to be in the marketplace?

“Massive time,’’ stated O’Brien. “The match isn’t good, however he brings so much that they might use, and I believe he’d be an incredible match at Fenway.”

Fox betting on Brady

Upfront of its Tremendous Bowl LIX broadcast subsequent Sunday, Fox has been ultra-aggressive in pushing the narrative that Raiders minority proprietor Tom Brady stays all-in as a broadcaster. That included sending out plastic statues of a golden microphone to media members this week, outfitted with a Brady voiceover speaking about how keen he’s to name the Tremendous Bowl. Two ideas on Brady the broadcaster: 1. Right here’s hoping he calls fewer than 5 gamers a “stud” throughout the Tremendous Bowl. That was his go-to phrase of reward again and again throughout the NFC Championship sport; 2. No golden plastic microphone goes to persuade me that Brady is staying with Fox as a broadcaster past this yr. How is he ever going to arrange when he has Mark Davis and Pete Carroll to take care of in his different job?