Cooper Flagg has been heralded as a generational NBA draft prospect for the last 12 months, and he seems on the verge of heading to Texas after the Dallas Mavericks improbably won the NBA draft lottery to earn the first pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
As the first round on June 25 draws near there will be plenty of discussion around Flagg's potential in the pros after his stellar freshman season at Duke. By and large the question is not if Flagg will be good, but just how good he can be.
Speaking on that particular angle in a draft preview published today, ESPN insider Jonthan Givony revealed most NBA scouts only have one question about Flagg's potential.
"Scouts' only question is whether Flagg projects as 'merely' an NBA All-Star, or if, as some scouts suggest, he can become one of the league's most impactful players on both ends of the floor," Givony reported.
It may seem simplistic but, barring something unforeseen, this does seem to be the only unknown about Flagg's prospects. His ability to defend, rebound and play defense gives him a very high floor as a useful role player. His scoring seems to already be at a level where teams cannot simply ignore him; players who can score well enough while checking every other box are generally seen as deserving of the All-Star echelon.
But the step Flagg must take after all that is the biggest and most difficult. There have been plenty of prospects, heralded and otherwise, who become star-level players but can't quite bridge the gap to the superstar level.
Flagg clearly has the potential to do so. His one year at Duke showed he could be the best player on the floor both offensively and defensively, an incredibly rare archetype in the NBA. But doing so consistently at the highest level is what separates great players from the all-timers.
It will be fun to see whether Flagg can get there. Until he does, though, the question will persist.
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