It’s Cooper Flagg vs. the Field for the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft
Ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, most draft analysts agreed that if 17-year-old Duke commit Cooper Flagg were eligible, he would’ve been a shoo-in to be the #1 pick in the Draft. Now one could argue that this had plenty to do with the fact that the 2024 draft class was considered historically weak in terms of top-end talent. But in fairness, this has far more to do with how much of a sure-thing Cooper Flagg is considered to be by anyone who has seen him step on a basketball court.
Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy called Cooper Flagg the best American-born draft prospect since Anthony Davis, and really, that may be underselling it. It’s possible that in terms of 21st century draft prospects, the only two guys who will come into the NBA with more hype and higher expectations than Flagg are LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama. That’s it. That’s the list. So it’s no wonder that Flagg is a prohibitive -500 favorite to go #1 in the 2025 NBA Draft, according to odds provided by Bovada. In just a few months, a half dozen or so teams won’t wait long until they’re In a Stupor for Cooper.
Flagg is followed by a pair of Rutgers Scarlet Knights incoming freshmen, Ace Bailey (+325) and Dylan Harper (+1200), French point guard Nolan Traore (+850), Miami Hurricanes commit Jalil Bethea (+1600), and Khaman Maluach (+1500), a 7’2″ center from South Sudan who will be teaming with Flagg at Duke next year. For good reason, Duke (+1400) is among the betting favorites to win the 2024-25 National Title.
© Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
What kind of pro will Cooper Flagg be?
If you’ve followed Cooper Flagg at all over the last few years, then you’re at least tangentially aware of his game and what kind prospect he is. At age 15, Flagg was the best player on an under-17 team that captured gold at the FIBA U17 World Cup. This was on the heels of Flagg becoming the first first freshman ever to win Maine Gatorade Player of the Year. Flagg would go on to transfer to Montverde Academy ahead of his sophomore season, a program that has graduated recent #1 NBA Draft picks Cade Cunningham and Ben Simmons, as well as a number of players who would go on to be lottery picks, such as Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, D’Angelo Russell, and Jalen Duren.
Cooper Flagg has drawn all kinds of lofty comparisons, whether it be to Kevin Garnett, Scottie Pippen or Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s a 6’9″ wing — though, keep in mind, at only 17 years old, there’s a lot of time for Flagg to grow figuratively AND literally before he comes to the NBA — with a great feel for the game, a non-stop motor, and the potential to be dominant on both ends of the floor. He actually may be further ahead defensively than he is offensively. He’s a tremendous defender in space and a menacing shot-blocker, so much so that 247 Sports’ Adam Finkelstein said that Flagg is, “as good of an underclassman shot-blocker as I’ve seen at his size.”
Flagg can score at all three levels, though his perimeter shot creation still has room for improvement. Given his high IQ and feel for the game, it’s possible that in time, an elite NBA offense could be run through him. The bottom-line is, it would come as a colossal shock if he didn’t end up as one of the NBA’s brightest stars.
My advice: don’t waste your money betting any of the longshots. Hell has a better chance of freezing over than Cooper Flagg not going #1 in the 2025 NBA Draft.
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