On Wednesday, unless something extremely strange happens, the Dallas Mavericks will take Duke University sensation Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Everyone has been anticipating Flagg being the No. 1 pick for months now, and scouts have raved about his abilities. He’s a do-everything 6-foot-9 forward who can score from all three levels, facilitate, run the break, hit the open man and defend at a high level. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks a game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range this past season as a freshman.
People are looking forward to seeing just how great the 18-year-old will be at the next level. ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins offered an interesting player comparison, essentially stating that Flagg is a hybrid of LeBron James and Kevin Garnett.
“This is how I look at Cooper Flagg,” Perkins said. “If LeBron James and Kevin Garnett had a baby, you’d get Cooper Flagg.”
Perkins mentioned Flagg’s high level of competitiveness and intensity, which he feels is reminiscent of Garnett. At the same time, Flagg’s ability to fill up a stat sheet at a high level is something he shares with James.
After seemingly falling flat on their faces after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavericks suddenly have a bright future.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: ESPN personality compares Cooper Flagg to LeBron James and Kevin Garnett
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
