The constantly shifting tides of NBA discourse can be fascinating. In just a span of two draft classes, the narrative has completely moved on from Victor Wembanyama being heralded as the league's next GOAT contender to now Cooper Flagg being viewed as the most complete and battle-tested rookie prospect to enter the league in recent memory.
Blake Griffin is the most recent former player to reinforce this notion, expressing how Flagg may have already surpassed Wemby in terms of readiness. With Cooper already being able to stand his ground against the best talents in the modern-day game, earning their respect and entering a championship-ready organization like the Dallas Mavericks , Blake is certain that Coop can already make more noise than the French phenom.
Long before his collegiate debut for Duke, Flagg was already reckoned as the undisputed No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 Draft Class. Thus, such lofty expectations already placed a target on his back, as each player knew that the best way to leave an impression was by overshadowing Cooper. Yet, no one managed to diminish his standing.
Flagg validated all hype by averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in his one-off season for the Blue Devils to ultimately win the Player of the Year honor.
Coach Jason Kidd is already excited about the prospect of trying to incorporate Flagg as a guard, even though, naturally, he is a forward and can also protect the rim with his 6'9" frame. Blake seems confident that Cooper is destined to make an immediate impact at the professional level, especially when he has veteran stars like Anthony Davis by his side. In contrast, with Wemby, the expectation was that he needed to bulk up to effectively use his 7'4" frame in order to be counted amongst the best two-way big men.
"I think he's the most complete player we've seen come into the NBA in recent memory. Not saying he doesn't have room to grow; he still has a ton of room to grow, but I mean, he passes, he shoots, he defends, he rebounds, he seems like a great teammate and seems like a great kid," Griffin said on the "Post Moves" show. "What's the red flag? Which is very exciting for basketball to have these young guys. Wemby is very complete as well, but Cooper is able to play so many different positions, guard so many different positions… I'm just excited for him to start this journey."
However, the immense praise surrounding Flagg introduces a burden of expectation. Comparisons to legendary figures such as Larry Bird and Griffin's assertion that he is already the most complete player only amplify the pressure on a player who has yet to step onto an NBA court.
Should Coop require time to adapt to the pace and demands of the league or struggle to secure a defined role within the Mavericks, criticism will likely be swift and unforgiving. Nevertheless, at every stage of his basketball journey, Flagg has shown his ability to bring out his best. It remains to be seen if Cooper will continue doing the same even in the NBA.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
