Can anyone overtake Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 pick? NBA Draft expert has a blunt answer

The Duke Blue Devils landed the top recruit in the nation when they got Cooper Flagg. He’s been the most talked about player in college basketball for a year, and for very good reasons.

Flagg plays hard on both ends of the floor. He creates for others, scores from all three level, and has already held his own against NBA competition in a scrimmage vs. Team USA.

Add his youth, efficiency, and work ethic to the mix, and that’s why former NBA GM John Hollinger believes no one else has a shot at even sniffing the top pick in this year’s draft.

No one can take down Cooper Flagg’s top spot

“Can anyone push Cooper Flagg for No. 1? No,” Hollinger wrote. “OK, but what if … No. Seriously, just … no. Given his late-December birthday, Flagg is likely to be the youngest player in the 2025 draft and yet is almost certainly the best draft-eligible player right now. Among power-conference players, he has the best PER of any non-center and the best BPM of any player except Auburn’s Johni Broome, who is nearly half a decade older.”

Cooper Flagg #2

Flagg is as close to perfect as it is as a prospect

Of course, no player is perfect, and Flagg isn’t the exception to the rule. Even so, Hollinger doesn’t think there’s anything about his game that should scare off any team:

“A real nitpicker would say Flagg’s rates of rebounds and blocks are unexceptional. Not bad, just not remarkable in the way the rest of his line is. Some concerns remain about the quality of his deep shooting and the extent of his prowess as an on-ball shot-creator. But, c’mon … Flagg is by far the top prospect in this draft,” added Hollinger.

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Of course, there are no guarantees when it comes to the NBA Draft, and we’ve seen projected stars fail over and over. But barring a shocking turn of events, Flagg should be a perennial All-Star.