After experiencing the hectic second half of the 2024-25 NBA season they did, which saw their franchise player traded to Los Angeles and their other star tear his ACL barely a month later, landing the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft had to be somewhat of a silver lining for the Dallas Mavericks.
And with his undeniable skill level, it’s all but confirmed that the Mavs will select Duke superstar Cooper Flagg with that precious first pick.
Flagg dropped jaws throughout the college basketball world, only playing his freshman season with the Blue Devils before announcing that he would be declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft.
After just one year, the 18-year-old out of Newport, Maine was being compared to the likes of legends such as Grant Hill and current superstars Jayson Tatum and Kawhi Leonard, the former two hailing from Duke as well.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, however, went a different route with his comparison of the young star, comparing him to who many would consider the greatest Dallas Maverick of all time.
“He’s a great all-around player. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but a little baby Dirk Nowitzki? Could be. When Dirk came in, Dirk was raw like that. He just worked on his game and trained and got on the trails and got with management, and became a great player,” Shaq said.
The fact that O’Neal described Flagg as raw may have a few basketball fans raising their eyebrows, as he showed in just one season, he is extremely well-rounded for a rookie, collegiate or pro, as opposed to Nowitzki, who was mainly acclaimed for his offense.
The 2025 NBA Draft will take place on June 25-26.
