Cooper Flagg has long been talked about as the runaway No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. And unless he chooses to return to Duke, that should uphold. That said, there’s some people out there who think he’s not a shoe-in as the top pick.
Specifically, Case Jacobsen of Fox Sports 1, thinks Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey will be the No. 1 pick. And while he has had a standout season with the Scarlet Knights, I have to disagree. Personally, I think Dylan Harper is the better player on the team.
You heard it here first from @cjacobsen23: NBA Draft Picks 👀
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 23, 2025
No. 1 - Ace Bailey
No. 2 - Cooper Flagg pic.twitter.com/HvBRJm3v0j
What Flagg is not only doing at Duke but has been doing since he exploded onto the media scene is the reason he was talked about as the top prospect at each level. Bailey has been good at Rutgers, but he hasn’t been playing at Flagg’s level.
And it doesn't help that Flagg will get a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament; Rutgers is essentially out. Which means we’ll never get to compare them on the same stage.
Grade the take: D
Ace Bailey over Cooper Flagg? NBA Draft opinion is out of this world
This is just an awful take. Bailey is a good player, but he showed a lot of flaws early on in his one year at Rutgers. For one, he’s a volume shooter. There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, but he has to take a lot of shots to get into a rhythm and they aren’t always good looks.
To me, that’s his biggest flaw and why he won’t get drafted over Cooper Flagg and certainly won’t be the No. 1 pick. Flagg’s game can translate to the NBA right now. Bailey needs to fine tune his game more to be elite like a No. 1 overall pick.
He reminds me a lot of Jalen Green. Green took a lot of ill-advised shots when he was in the G-League and even early on in his NBA career. It wasn’t until he got a team around him where he started taking smarter shots.
I don’t think the way Bailey plays now is going to make him an immediate impact like Flagg’s does, which is why Flagg will absolutely be the No. 1 pick. And if we’re being honest, Bailey’s teammate, Dylan Harper, might be drafted ahead of Bailey as well.
Harper has a lot to work on his game as well, but he’s shown he can facilitate and impact the game in ways outside of scoring. His shooting ability needs to improve, but that will come with time.
Neither Harper nor Bailey should be drafted over Flagg. Any team drafting inside the top five needs a player that’s going to instantly make them better. With the No. 1 the only option is Flagg. Any other player is too much of an unnecessary risk.