Dallas Mavericks basic supervisor Nico Harrison was clearly thrilled with the chance to draft Duke celebrity Cooper Flagg No. 1 total within the 2025 NBA Draft.
Simply months after inexplicably buying and selling away the face of his franchise, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers, Harris was given an unbelievable do-over with the chance to draft Flagg.
The Mavs had 1.8% odds to win the NBA Draft lottery, however there they have been on Wednesday night, taking the following face of their franchise to pair alongside established superstars in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
So sure, Harrison had cause to be thrilled after the decide. He even indulged in a little bit little bit of hyperbole.
“It is a generational expertise, a once-in-a-lifetime probability,” Harrison stated after the draft, according to ESPN. “So simply high to backside, we’re excited.”
Harrison is correct that Flagg has the instruments to be a star within the NBA. He is an athletic, 6-foot-9, 205-pound ahead who can do all the pieces on the court docket. He averaged 19.2 factors, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per sport for Duke as a freshman en path to being named the ACC Participant of the 12 months and ACC Rookie of the 12 months.
Flagg has star potential, however is he generational? Let’s cool the jets on that for a minute, as a result of he nonetheless has to show he could make the leap from faculty to the NBA and he hasn’t even performed a minute but within the league.
Additionally, to say somebody is “as soon as in a lifetime” is to place them within the class of gamers that maybe only some in NBA historical past have been. We’re speaking concerning the GOATS like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in current reminiscence, and it will be onerous to make an argument for anybody else.
Whereas gamers like Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant have been superstars, even they do not should be in that uncommon air reserved for the NBA’s Mount Rushmore of “as soon as in a lifetime” gamers.
Does Flagg have the potential to be in these conversations? Sure. Will he be part of the GOAT conversations with guys like LeBron, Curry, Kobe and Jordan, although?
Something can occur, in fact, however let’s have a look at him play his rookie season first earlier than happening that highway.
