Inside The Wizards

Wizards Prospect Cooper Flagg Continues to Impress

Cooper Flagg should have the Washington Wizards scouting department feeling giddy.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 7, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dunks during the second half against the Pitt Panthers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
Jan 7, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dunks during the second half against the Pitt Panthers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images / Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have the worst record in the NBA, which should give them the best odds at acquiring the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft to select Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg.

Flagg has been considered as the top prospect in this draft class for a few years now, but with his recent strides at Duke, he's beginning to look even more like a potential superstar in the NBA.

ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony mocked him to the Wizards with the top pick in his latest draft projection.

"The Wizards would be thrilled to add a talent such as Flagg to their young core, forming a dynamic defensive duo with Alexandre Sarr, last year's No. 2 pick. Flagg has been as good as advertised and appears to be hitting his stride. In the past month, he has been making jumpers and free throws more consistently while showing off his passing, finishing and defensive versatility with his outstanding intensity and feel for the game," Givony writes.

His numbers so far at Duke suggest that he is getting better on both ends of the floor, which would make him the Wizards potential franchise cornerstone.

"Sporting a 30-plus% usage rate, the second highest among projected first-rounders, Flagg has taken on an outsized role as a shot-creator. That has taken a toll on his efficiency (51% on 2-pointers, 31% on 3s) at times but it should be beneficial for him and Duke long term. The Blue Devils tested themselves in a major way in non-conference play and have looked well-equipped for a deep NCAA tournament run, with Flagg leading the way on both ends of the floor," Givony writes.

While Flagg still has a lot of learning to do, his play as of late should have the Wizards hoping for the ping pong balls to fall their way at the lottery in a few months.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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