{"id":88107,"date":"2024-07-30T17:16:05","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T21:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=88107"},"modified":"2024-07-30T17:16:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T21:16:05","slug":"nba-draft-executive-names-cooper-flagg-no-1-competitor-ace-bailey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/07\/30\/nba-draft-executive-names-cooper-flagg-no-1-competitor-ace-bailey\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Executive Names Cooper Flagg\u2019s No. 1 Draft Competitor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Duke prospect Cooper Flagg is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft<\/a>, but his name going off the board first next June isn\u2019t a foregone conclusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could see (Ace) Bailey supplanting Flagg for No. 1,\u201d an NBA executive told HoopsHype.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Bailey is more talented with the ball than Flagg at this point, but I think Flagg is a better overall player<\/a> than Bailey now,\u201d the executive continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cAce is more of a scoring type of player. His overall decision-making and shot selection has to get a lot better. He’s very wired to score. Athletically, I think there’s another level he can get to, but he’s still a very good athlete. Shooting-wise, I think he’s more of a scorer than a natural shooter, which over time will be fine if he’s your No. 2 guy.<\/p>\n

I thought the same things about Brandon Miller when he was in high school. His legs don’t look great in terms of his strength, but hopefully, he can continue to put more weight on and be more physical. There’s no doubt that he’s very talented.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bailey has long been considered a top-three prospect, and HoopsHype\u2019s consensus mock draft has him being selected second overall.<\/p>\n

Committing to Rutgers over blue collar Kentucky, Bailey and Dylan Harper \u2014HoopsHype\u2019s consensus No. 3 prospect \u2014will lead the Scarlet Knight\u2019s historic recruiting class<\/a>. By taking a relatively unbeaten path, they could be Rutgers\u2019 first lottery picks since James Bailey<\/a> was selected sixth overall in 1979.<\/p>\n

NBA Executive Names Ace Bailey As Cooper Flagg\u2019s No. 1 Draft Competitor<\/h2>\n

In comparison to Flagg, Bailey is much more of a prototypical wing. At 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, his aerial assaults are worthy of SportsCenter Top 10 highlights. This athletic ability automatic makes him a threat when slashing or in transition. Yet, that\u2019s not all there is to his game.<\/p>\n

He has a knack for knocking down midrange fadeaways, the hallmark of all-time great scorers. Though his outside jumper isn\u2019t particularly pretty, he made 44 percent of his threes above the left break last season. He made 50 percent of his jumpers from the left elbow. When scoring off-the-dribble, he\u2019s creative and intuitive, physical but skilled.<\/p>\n