The NBA’s draft analysts —amateurs to professionals —have been raving about Duke incoming freshman Cooper Flagg for about a year. The hype surrounding Flagg is nothing like that of San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, who quickly proved that he’s an MVP-caliber talent. It may not even match that of New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, whose physical tools, production, and playmaking led to him being compared to multiple Hall of Famers.
However, if the 2025 NBA Draft began today, Flagg would be the favorite to go No. 1. He’s playing for a prestigious program after being named the 2024 Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year. His guard skills and defense at 6-foot-9 has him in conversations with players like Franz Wagner and Andrei Kirilenko.
Yet, Wagner and Kirilenko were drafted with the No. 8 and No. 24 picks, respectively. Why then would Flagg be considered a lock for No. 1?
NBA Executive Has Question For Duke’s Cooper Flagg
The truth is that Flagg isn’t a shoo-in to be drafted first overall next summer. According to ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony, “some NBA scouts tell ESPN that the door is open for them to consider other players depending on how the next nine months play out.” Even executives are hesitant to say the Maine Event will be the main player they focus on in the draft.
“I’m going into this year with an open mind about who the No. 1 pick might be,” says one NBA executive. “This is how mistakes are made: getting anchored to an opinion and then closing yourself off to new, much more important information that we’ll be receiving in the coming months seeing how the season plays out.”
“Every year there are surprises, new players pop up and others take an unexpected leap.”
The anonymous executive, who will presumably have a legitimate shot to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, specifically wants to see if Flagg “is indeed a No. 1-type offensive option… or if he’s more of a superstar role player who is better suited as your second- or third-best player.”
To that point, the difference between a player like Wagner or Kirilenko and a player like Paolo Banchero —who was drafted first overall in 2022 —is their ability to consistently lead the team in scoring. As a three-level scorer, Flagg has the potential be his team’s first option at some point. Yet, there are other factors that determine whether a player will be able to man that role.
Will He Be A No. 1 Option?
Flagg’s mental makeup —his balance between passivity and aggressiveness —will be a factor. So too will his ability to score off the dribble. Players who dominate in high school often do so because they have a physical advantage over their peers. Once Flagg is competing against bigger, better, and more seasoned players, it could diminish his impact.
His play against Team USA’s senior team when he was part of the Select Team didn’t help assuage those concerns. There were complimentary reports about Flagg coming out of their Olympic training camp. However, he didn’t look like a world-beater so much as a guy who could be a solid difference-maker.
That’s not what a team really wants from a No. 1 pick. Thus, the door remains open for prospects like Rutgers freshman wing Ace Bailey and Baylor freshman guard VJ Edgecombe.
