CONSENSUS number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Cooper Flagg looks set for stardom at the top level, having put together a tremendous season with the Duke Blue Devils over the course of the past few months.

Unlike the 2024 NBA Draft, this year’s pool has a clear clubhouse leader, with Flagg’s talents recognised early, and the prospect living up to the hype in his draft season, never looking in doubt as the best player in the crop.

On the season, Flagg is currently averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game on 48.8 per cent shooting from the field. Making these numbers more impressive is how much defensive attention he receives on a nightly basis, fighting through double teams and targeted coverage to still impact the game in just about every facet.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central are going to run through some of the clearest comparisons to already established NBA talents, with Flagg drawing similarities to some of the all-time greats, starting with one of the most successful players of all time.

Scottie Pippen – Chicago Bulls

Just about every basketball (and non-basketball fan) has heard of Pippen, one of the best players on the Chicago Bulls dynasty team from the 1990s. He teamed up with Michael Jordan to create an unstoppable team, winning six NBA championships and forming one of the greatest teams of all time. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team eight years in a row, and three times to the All-NBA First Team, despite playing with a player as dominant as Jordan.

When it comes to similarities to Pippen, look no further than Flagg’s two-way mastery, with the prospect an incredibly impactful performer on the defensive end. He is crafty with his ability to poke the ball free and has the strength to hold his own when the opposition attempts to back him down. Offensively, the presence is just as clear, with both Flagg and Pippen nearly unstoppable when going downhill, but also capable of knocking down jumpshots.

Andrei Kirilenko – Utah Jazz

Flagg draws comparisons to another former forward in Kirilenko, who is considered ahead of his time in retrospect when it comes to his individual game. Taken with the 24th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, he forged a 15-year NBA career with both the Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets. He was an All-Star in 2004 and the All-Defensive First Team in 2006. Although he may not have reached the heights of his potential, it was still a solid NBA career.

Flagg looms as a ‘new and improved’ model of Kirilenko, offering more in some of the key areas of the game while also showing why the Russian was considered such a strong prospect when joining the NBA. The clear comparison is evident in the similarity in size and ability to handle the ball, with both players bringing a guard-like dribble to their game despite standing six-foot-nine. The defensive impact is also clear, but if Flagg can continue on his upward trajectory, it could mark the new prototype of player at his height.

Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

One of the best players of the past decade, Tatum has been able to live up to his potential as a former Blue Devils graduate himself. Since joining the NBA with the third overall pick in the 2017 draft, Tatum has become one of the superstars of the competition, being named to the All-NBA First Team on three occasions, and winning an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics in 2024, which was one of the biggest achievements hanging over his head throughout the seven years prior.

The players are similar in the sense that they come out of Duke as the clear best draft prospect on the team, and both have heavy weight of expectation to translate this to the next level. Tatum was a more developed offensive prospect in college, but Flagg is a better defender and athlete in his Freshman season, but there is some crossover in all three categories for both players. Tatum is the blueprint for being a successful prospect from Duke, and Flagg will be looking to do the same.