ESPN analyst Jay Bilas reveals what he likes best about projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg is on the verge of becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and the National College Player of the Year recently earned praise from ESPN analyst Jay Bilas.
Flagg led Duke to the Final Four, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on 38.5% shooting from 3-point range. He became the 22nd player in program history to be named a consensus first-team All-American.
The 6-foot-8 forward established himself as the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick because of his size, athleticism and ability to affect games on both ends of the court. Bilas, speaking on the "Awful Announcing" podcast with Brandon Contes, named his favorite trait about Flagg.
The one thing that stands out about Cooper Flagg, to me, above all others, and we can talk about the attributes -- physically, athletically, how he shoots it, how he handles it, how he passes it and how he defends -- but the thing I like about him best is he is not one who is interested in numbers. What he does is he makes the right play on that play and then he winds up stacking the right play over and over again and then by the end of the game, he has compiled really impressive numbers.
Flagg entered the season with tremendous expectations as the consensus top recruit in the class of 2024. He was highly touted as the likely top pick in the draft and lived up to the hype after becoming the face of the sport this past season.
The 18-year-old led the Blue Devils in total points (709), rebounds (277), assists (156) and blocks per game. He is highly regarded for his ability to process plays in real-time and his decision-making with the ball in his hands, while also constantly adding new skills to his arsenal.
After trading away cornerstone Luka Dončić, the Dallas Mavericks hope Flagg can step in and be their long-term solution. Should Flagg indeed hear his name called first on Wednesday, the ACC Freshman of the Year will become the sixth Blue Devil to be selected as the top pick.
"I think he is the best freshman Duke has ever had, and that is saying something given the freshmen that Duke has had over the last 30-40 years, maybe even beyond that," Bilas said. "He is barely 18 years old right now, and the polish and maturity he shows... People talk about will Dallas trade the pick, I just can't imagine a scenario where you trade that because he is the future for them."
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