After the 2024 NBA Draft was labeled an underwhelming class, plenty of members of the NBA community are looking forward to the 2025 Draft Class. It is fair to be excited about that class because they have some exciting prospects in college and from different professional leagues.
The biggest standout in the upcoming class is Cooper Flagg from Duke University. He looks like a generational prospect, even in the Team USA scrimmages against the NBA’s best players. It was enough to impress former seven-time NBA All-Star and Team USA managing director Grant Hill , but he does not want people to get ahead of themselves.
“He had a good day and some good moments. He’s gonna have a great college season, I hope, but I know he’s gonna have a great NBA season. He had a good day, it was documented on social media, people saw the clips,” Hill said on The Dan Patrick Show. “He still has some growth to do, and I think he acknowledges that as well. He’s got all the tools and a mental makeup too, he’s got some nasty in him.”
Flagg has all the tools to succeed in the NBA
There have been many exciting prospects in the past five years, with Zion Williamson and Victor Wembanyama leading the pack. They have turned out to be budding stars in the NBA, making Flagg’s arrival in 2025 more exciting.
He is a generational prospect because he stands at 6’8”, but he has the tools to become an elite rim protector with a refined offensive skill set. Flagg’s athleticism, combined with his feel for the game, makes him an elite prospect who could become a superstar quickly.
Cooper had already shown flashes of potential, especially when he shared the court with LeBron James and the other Team USA players. He did well in the select team, proving he was a star on the rise, which the coaches and players raved about .
The 17-year-old phenom admits he was nervous because it was the highest-level game he played since he usually plays against his peers in a similar age group.
“For sure, I was nervous, but as soon as I got on the court and stepped in between the lines, most of the pressure I was feeling or anything else I’m thinking about goes away,” Flagg said to Yahoo Sports. “It was a huge opportunity and a great experience to be able to share the court with players at that level.”
Flagg is the consensus favorite to be 2025’s #1 pick
While the 2025 Draft is one of the most talent-laden classes in a long while, it has a consensus #1 pick with Flagg. In any other Draft, players like VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, and Drake Powell would have been #1 overall picks, but Cooper is an undeniable talent and a potential face of the NBA.
Of course, people might be getting ahead of themselves about calling him the savior of a team, but the talent and potential are there. In the meantime, the league should have a good time with the current crop of rookies before Cooper can make some waves in the NBA.
Related: "Coop was playing out of his mind" - Coaches and players rave about Cooper Flagg's performances in Team USA camp
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