Baron Davis, the current National College playing of the Year, has an intriguing playing comparison with Cooper Flagg, who is expected to be the first overall choice in the 2025 NBA Draft.
During his first and only collegiate season with the Duke Blue Devils, the 18-year-old sensation made a huge impression. Leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four, the 6-foot-9 big displayed his all-around skills with averages of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Davis is well-versed in the characteristics of outstanding NBA players. The former two-time All-Star guard faced some of the best players in the NBA throughout his 13 seasons (1999–2012), including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan. Flagg reminds him of former Utah Jazz Swiss Army Knife Andrei Kirilenko, the 46-year-old claims.
In a private interview, Davis remarks, “He reminds me a lot of Andrei Kirilenko.” “How he moves and how many things he can do.” He’s more offensively adapted, in my opinion. But just his motor, his physique, his frame, and his ability to draw attention both offensively and defensively.
The 6-foot-9 Kirilenko was a three-time All-Defensive Team selection and an All-Star. During his 13 seasons in the NBA, he established himself as a versatile forward, averaging 16.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in his finest season.
“When you see someone like that and decide, ‘Well, Dallas has Cooper Flagg right now,’ you start examining their front court, which includes Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg, don’t you? the parts they currently possess. “Hey, you got a really good anchor,” you comment. A pretty large young man with quickness and a 6-foot-10 skill set is coming in, and he could play power forward, Davis says.
The Dallas Mavericks won the lottery and now own the first overall choice in the draft. The Mavericks, who just made it to the NBA Finals the previous season, will therefore probably choose Flagg (provided they don’t trade out of the position). Flagg will thus join a team that already has a number of All-Stars, including Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks probably would have made the playoffs if they hadn’t been hindered by injuries to Irving and Davis in the second part of the season.
He’s going to be fantastic, in my opinion, especially joining a seasoned club like Dallas with all of their parts, Davis adds. “He has a lot less pressure to lead a squad. He will enter the game and use his skills to become a vital member of the squad. He will progress into a leadership position on that club more quickly than some of these rookies on other teams would.
When Cooper Flagg plays for a Mavericks team trying to bounce back following a dismal 2024–25 campaign, we’ll see exactly how dynamic he is.
