NBA draft experts evaluate the most anticipated rookies!

All anyone does in the draft is "believe". When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Alexander was selected by the 11th pick, anyone who thinks he will be a future MVP will raise his hand, right? When Jaylen Brunson came out of Villanova, how many people named him the NBA Player of the Year? Almost every draft we look back five years later, the ranking of players is very different from draft night. Maybe this is true in every sport, but especially in basketball, because in basketball, the decision is based on short records of 18 and 19 years old.

The No. 1 pick is selected without any effort

This is the Cooper Flag draft. If any of the 30 NBA teams have the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft draw, all 30 teams will choose Flag and will never look back. Flag is the best freshman in Duke’s history and the most comprehensive player in this draft.

Although Flag has room for improvement in some ways, no other player meets so many requirements. Few of the players I have looked at have mastered so many fields like Flag. He is legal with a 6-8 and 7-0 wingspan. He has strong athletic ability and a long figure. He can move his feet horizontally and is also very fast. Defensively, he has a good sense of stealing and blocking, and is excellent on the glass. Flag is an elite transitional terminator and organizer. He is a great driver and terminator and a great cutter.

Flag has the potential of an all-NBA, and I believe he will reach that potential. As long as he stays healthy, he won’t fail in the NBA. He's just different. Skills and measurable traits aside, Flag is one of the most competitive players I've ever seen at this age. Yes, a lot of potential customers are competitive, but this guy is at the top of the competition. Flag, who is only 18, has surpassed his age – far beyond the prospect of most 22-year-olds in this draft.

Flag won't look for numbers in the game. Instead, he strives to make the right play—by stacking the right plays over and over, he has achieved impressive numbers in every way.

The best shooters

The draft has its own outstanding shooters, Texas freshman Trey Johnson and Duke's Kon Knueppel Knueppel lead the trend.

Johnson is a better shot and athlete. With a 6-10 wingspan, he leads the SEC at 19 minutes. Average of 9 points, 39.7% from outside the three-point line, hit 89 three-pointers last season.

Despite his height and physical characteristics, Johnson did not have the expected defensive impact, his speed and agility would help him well in the NBA. Knueppel is the best catch-and-shoot guard in the draft.

As a freshman in Durham, North Carolina, he shot nearly 41% from three-pointers and hit 84 3 points. Last season, Knuper shot 48% from the bottom corner three and 91.4% from free throws. Kneuppel’s defense and body tools are the problem. But while Kneuppel is unlikely to be selected for the NBA’s All-Defensive Team, he is not a fighting guy!

The players who are most surprised by Hubble and Bailey

Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey will be ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively, if talent and upward potential are the only variables. But the two most promising after Flag played together at Rutgers, but had a poor record. The Scarlet Cavaliers won 15-17 and 8-12 in the Big Ten. While it’s fair to question why neither contributes more to the victory, especially with Harper having a talented point guard, I doubt the team’s record will affect any prospective draft position.

Harper is the second best prospect in this draft - a long-arm, third-level scorer, an excellent offensive player with excellent footwork and shooting creators. Harper is excellent in pick-and-roll situations and has a strong reading ability. He is not a stable depth shooter, shooting only 33% from three-point range, but he has great skills. He is a worker, but not an influential defender, despite his height and body.

Bailey is one of the guys in the draft with high risk and high returns. Few have higher caps, and few can match his shooting ability, especially the powerful emergency stop jump shot under pressure. Bailey scored 39 points against Indiana and 38 points against Northwestern. Bailey faces questions about his maturity, but he is only 18 years old and his talent is undeniable. With Harper’s talent and skills, no one misses his second place – even San Antonio, which requires a shot, is something Harper doesn’t offer. Bailey should be following him soon, from No. 3 to No. 8.