Cooper Flagg hasn't even played a single minute of actual NBA basketball, yet, as expected, he's been the talk of the hour all through the preseason.That was the case again when the Dallas Mavericks visited the LA Lakers for a preseason contest, as Flagg, who started at point guard, impressed with 13 points, two boards, and three assists.His court vision, size, and versatility have made some people compare him to LeBron James, a fellow No. 1 pick. However, when asked about that, Lakers coach J.J. Redick respectfully disagreed:"He doesn’t really remind me of anybody," Redick said, as quoted by Underdog NBA. "Cooper is his own special player. I think his defensive instincts and playmaking ability far exceed most 18-year-olds."Needless to say, the coach is not saying that he's not as good as LeBron James was at the time or that he can't have the same impact or career as James.He just wants people to let the Duke product be his own player, grow at his own pace, and not have to deal with the massive burden that often comes with these comparisons. Still, the fact that he's drawing LeBron James comparisons speaks volumes about his impressive talent and untapped potential. Jason Kidd wants to challenge Cooper FlaggOf course, like all rookies, there will be some growing pains and a learning period. Nevertheless, coach Jason Kidd still believes he's capable of dealing with every challenge he faces, which is why he started him at point guard in a preseason game as well:“I don't look at the position. I want to put him at point guard. I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts (to) being able to run the show," Kidd said. “We want to push. And I think he's going to respond in a positive way. It's all right to fail. It's all right to turn the ball over. We've talked about that.”Flagg is a willing passer with a great basketball IQ, so while he's not a point guard by any means, it made sense that he got to put the ball on the floor and drive it up the court, as he'll be in that position in transition multiple times in his career.People should always tame their expectations regarding first-year players. But if there's someone who's even remotely close to that "generational talent" label, it's definitely Cooper Flagg.