NBA rumors: The only way Dylan Harper goes No. 1 over Cooper Flagg
12/16/2024 01:56 PM
Duke basketball freshman Cooper Flagg is the type of can’t-miss prospect that could have been safely penciled in as the No. 1 NBA Draft pick in his class before he ever touched a college court. That’s even with Rutgers guard Dylan Harper filling the stat sheet every night in New Brunswick.
A third of the way into what will surely be their only college seasons, not much has changed.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo spoke with a bevy of NBA scouts and executives and came to the conclusion that it would take “Harper dominating college basketball in a convincing enough manner to change the conversation” or “something unexpected, such as an injury or other unforeseeable circumstance” to knock Flagg from the top spot in the draft.
Flagg has flashed his dominance on the national stage, scoring 26 in a loss to Kentucky and 22 in a win over Auburn. The Kentucky game also showed his weaknesses as Flagg committed two key turnovers in the final seconds, confirming that he’s not at the level of a primary NBA scorer quite yet.
Harper, meanwhile, is putting up 23.5 points per game and is fresh off a buzzer-beater against in-state rial Seton Hall over the weekend.
“It’s [Flagg’s] to lose,” said one Eastern Conference scout. “If I’m making the No. 1 pick, my comfort level knowing the kid, his character, work ethic and talent, I’m sleeping easily all summer long.”
“I don’t think you can pass on him, unless there is someone else who overwhelmingly blows that out of the water,” another Eastern Conference scout agreed.
General manager predicts Dylan Harper will be 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year
The NBA experts seemed to agree that Flagg was the best overall prospect in this year’s draft class. They also agree that he is not a finished product offensively and that in terms of scoring, Harper may be further along.
“I don’t think [Flagg] is going to be the best offensive prospect in the draft, and sometimes that’s just who goes 1, which is reasonable,” a Western Conference scout said.
That might result in Harper having the better rookie year out of the two, even if Flagg’s career trajectory takes him a little higher.
“[Flagg] is in the driver’s seat and will be for a long time, but I think Dylan Harper will be the rookie of the year,” one general manager said. “He may not be better 10 years from now, but I think he’s the most ready. If you have a lot of wings or younger bigs already on the roster, just take him. [Harper] is the only guy that could threaten him.
“But again, I’d take Cooper at the end of the day, because if all the stars align, it’s not close.”
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