Wizards Need Cooper Flagg to Justify Losing

The Washington Wizards are 6-40 going into tonight's matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, which is far and away the worst record in the league.
However, the losing could pay off in the long run if the Wizards get the No. 1 overall pick to take Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft.
"If there were any preseason questions about Cooper Flagg's potential to meet the hype, they revolved around self-creation and shooting. He's currently squashing those concerns. Flagg has hit 15-of-30 threes over Duke's last 10 games, and though nobody should confuse him for a wing scorer, he's generating offense for himself in so many different ways that fancy one-on-one play or step-backs aren't necessary for consistently getting good attempts," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman writes.
"He's gotten comfortable spinning off defenders. He's been ultra effective attacking in line drives and using angles, height and strength off those drives. He's using force and finesse to earn close looks from the post," he continued. "And then there's the transition and off-ball finishing that he's able to score with just by tapping into his motor, physical tools and athleticism. Flagg just turned 18 last month and he's second in the nation now in box plus-minus behind 22-year-old Johni Broome."
Flagg has the potential to be an instant star in the league, something that very few, if any, of the other players in the draft have. Adding him to the Wizards core would give the team a true No. 1 option to go to, and that will immediately put the team on a track towards winning, though it will likely take a few more years to grow into a potential contender in the Eastern Conference.
Tipoff between the Lakers and Wizards is set for 7 p.m. ET from inside Capital One Arena.