NBA rumors: Why Cooper Flagg is still likely top pick despite 'real' Dylan Harper conversation
Yesterday at 04:06 PM
While some teams around the NBA are currently gearing up for the second half of the season in hopes of making the playoffs, others are incentivized to lose as many games as possible in order to try to secure the number one overall pick. This year, teams like the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards figure to be in contention for that prized draft spot, but the question of who will go number one overall is yet to be determined.
Heading into this year, Duke freshman Cooper Flagg appeared to be the consensus player in that regard, but he has seen some stiff competition from other college stars like Rutgers’ Dylan Harper.
However, recently, league insider Sam Vecenie of The Athletic broke down why he believes Flagg still deserves the designation.
“(Flagg) plays a premium position as a big wing that teams continue to covet league-wide,” reported Vecenie. “Two-way, shot-creating wings are the hardest player types to find. Ultimately, if Flagg shows any continued improvement with his jump shot, he will likely go No. 1.”
Vecenie also reported that NBA scouts have reservations about “whether Harper will be able to consistently get this degree of separation against NBA-level defenders.
However, it was also noted that “he's not a monster athlete, but he's unbelievable at finding little creases in the defense and has incredibly flexible hips that allow him to find his way through traffic to get to the rim.”
Who should go number one?
The 2025 NBA Draft class is projected to be one of the deepest talent pools in years, the direct opposite of what fans saw in the 2024 class, whose members aren’t exactly off to a great start in the league.
In a class as talented as this one, there may be no real wrong answer as to who goes number one, and the answer to that question could very well depend on the needs of whichever team wins the draft lottery.
As Vecenie noted in his report, Cooper Flagg indeed fits the profile of the modern NBA postionless basketball archetype, switchable on defense and able to carry out multiple tasks on the offensive end of the floor. That trait, combined with his youth and athleticism, might make him the top pick, regardless of who ends up with the selection.
However, Harper is certainly making things interesting.
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