NBA Draft expert pumps the brakes on the Cooper Flagg hype train
By Cal Durrett
The 2025 NBA draft is more than seven months away but many already expect that prospect Cooper Flagg will be selected first overall. Flagg is considered to be a generational prospect given his two-way ability but recently there have been rumblings that he may not end up being selected first overall.
Other players such as VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, and Dylan Harper have emerged as threats to take Flagg atop the draft board. If that is the case, then the 2025 draft could be incredibly stacked, with Flagg possibly going second or even third instead of first.
VJ Edgecombe might be the most explosive athlete in the 2025 NBA Draft, with incredible burst turning the corner and exceptional quickness attacking the rim and getting off his feet for highlight-reel finishes.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) October 2, 2024
Can he emerge as a No. 1 pick candidate? https://t.co/pE4i4LQwEB pic.twitter.com/jFN8auandy
Dylan Harper will have a huge platform as Rutgers' PG to show why he should be the No. 1 pick. At 6'6, with a 6'10 wingspan and outstanding ballhandling, vision, creativity and instincts on both ends, there's quite a bit to like here.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) October 2, 2024
ESPN deep-dive: https://t.co/pE4i4LQwEB pic.twitter.com/S7M0l0DIHI
Having a generational prospect fall isn't unheard of. Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was widely seen as a surefire superstar in the lead-up to the 2018 draft and was even already the MVP of what many considered to be the second-best league in the world. Even so, he was taken third overall and was traded on draft night to the Mavericks.
Dating back further, Michael Jordan was taken third overall by the Chicago Bulls back in 1984, even though he was seen as a terrific young player at the time. That may have had to do with Hakeem Olajuwon being taken first overall and centers and power forwards being valued more than guards at the time but, generally speaking, those types of players don't often fall in the draft.
How would Cooper Flagg sliding down the draft board affect the 2025 NBA Draft?
Considering how much hype there is around Flagg, it would take a lot for Edgecombe, Bailey, and Harper to overtake him. He would either have to underwhelm in his only season at Duke or perhaps have a lingering injury or one or two of those players would have to show out.
It is possible, though often players that are touted as potential superstars years in advance tend to still end up going first even with the increased scrutiny. Anthony Davis was hyped two years before he even got drafted and he managed to live up to the hype after being taken first overall. All indications so far suggest that Flagg can too.
He was on the USA Select Team over the summer, giving him a chance to play with several NBA stars, and he impressed despite only being 17 years old at the time. More recently, an NBA legend showered Flagg with praise. That may not mean that he will have his name called first in the 2025 NBA Draft but no matter where he is taken, he has shown enough to warrant the excitement surrounding him.
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