With their fortunate victory in the 2025 NBA draft lottery, the Dallas Mavericks and their much criticized general manager Nico Harrison allayed the skeptics and gave the Mavs the first chance to choose Cooper Flagg, the predicted No. 1 overall choice in this year’s draft.
In the closing seconds of what appeared to be a certain Blue Devils victory, Flagg guided the Duke Blue Devils to the 2025 Final Four, where they lost to the Houston Cougars.
Tony Allen, the Boston Celtics’ defensive stopper and 2008 NBA champion, recently spoke on a podcast about his thoughts on Flagg’s prospects at the next level.
Allen shattered his co-hosts’ expectations that Flagg could turn a team around by drawing a comparison between him and a former Utah Jazz All-Star.
Allen stated, “I don’t think Cooper Flagg going to turn your franchise around like that,” on a GrindCityMedia podcast. I’m not seeing KD. I’m seeing Andrei Kirilenko, a former forward with the Utah Jazz.
Allen said, “He’s going to be a one-time All-Star,” adding that he’s “just not hyped on these Duke kids.”
Then Allen expanded on his analysis.
“He’s a good guy… However, Andrei Kirilenko is his maximum potential,” Allen went on, declining to name Flagg the favorite for Rookie of the Year.
Flagg led his team to a regional victory in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Naismith Award as the country’s finest player in 2024–25.
If the Mavericks select Flagg first overall in the 2025 draft this June, they might depend on him to take Luka Doncic’s place.
