NBA – Cooper Flagg sparks debate after the lottery : « He’s not Wemby, let’s stop this »

Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif

For months, Cooper Flagg has been touted not only as a the future first pick in the upcoming draft, but as a downright basketball phenomenon. But with the draft just a month and a half away, opinions are divided about the Duke prodigy…

This is a real breath of fresh air for Mavericks fans after a very difficult few months following Luka Doncic’s departure. The lottery saw them beat everyone else in the battle for the first pick in the draft, and the franchise has reason to pop the champagne, as they will be able to set their sights on a certain Cooper Flagg.

While the 2025 draft class is touted as deep and extremely promising, make no mistake: there’s little doubt about who will be called first by Adam Silver at the end of June. Flagg is indeed being considered as a phenomenon in the United States, perhaps even the next flag-bearer of American basketball. Many are already salivating over his upcoming duels with Victor Wembanyama.

What expectations should we have for Cooper Flagg?

Faced with so much praise and glowing predictions, is there a risk of getting a little too excited about him? This is the question we ask ourselves for all rookies heralded as generational players, Wembanyama being no exception. And in this respect, the Blue Devils’ power forward has some worried:

@El_Toro_777 : Cooper Flagg is a great prospect. But he’s not Lebron, Wemby, or even Zion. Let’s stop acting like he’s the difference between play in and championship

A stance that sparked a major debate among fans, with no one able to agree. One thing is certain though, Flagg divides opinion:

@RWunbreakable : He’s a better prospect than Zion. I swear y’all let his athleticism cloud your judgement.

@RiceQuacker : Glorified Gordon Hayward

@cryptogigachad4 : I would have Flagg over Luka every time….

For now, it’s impossible to know how Flagg’s professional career will truly unfold. His advantage is that he’ll likely end up in a serious franchise, the Mavericks, despite the internal turbulence of recent months. And with Anthony Davis, he’ll have an excellent mentor to help him acclimate to the NBA.