Duke forward Cooper Flagg has become the NBA’s most popular prospect since Victor Wembanyama, with his length, athleticism, playmaking, defense and overall two-way impact evoking a large number of impact power forwards of the past.

A Western Conference executive compared him to Kevin Garnett and Anthony Davis given his shot-blocking prowess and ability to transition on defense, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, adding that he will immediately be one of the best players in the NBA.

“He has really good handles for a power forward,” the executive noted of his offensive game. “Good footwork and plays off his ass. There’s no doubt he’ll be a good player in the NBA, but the question is how good.”

“We’ve heard very little doubt about the kid,” added an Eastern Conference executive. “Everyone around Cooper enjoyed him for three years.”

Flagg has lived up to the hype for Duke so far, averaging 15.5 points, nine rebounds, four assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in two contests, though the season is obviously very young The only knock against Flagg is that his shooting needs to develop to become a true superstar at the next level, and it showed early in college — he’s shooting 44 percent from the field but just 25 percent from three.

But it’s early days and Flagg is still only 17 years old. His ability to impact the game in all facets continues to impress, and it’s hard to imagine him not being a top pick in next summer’s NBA draft.