Heading into the draft, Cooper Flagg was hyped as one of the top offensive and defensive prospects. After trading away Luka Doncic, Dallas now pins its future on the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg’s NBA journey officially begins on Oct. 22, when the Mavericks face Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Interestingly, Wembanyama was also the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, making this matchup even juicier. Now, the big question is—which No. 1 pick will rise higher this season? Well, Blake Griffin might have subtly hinted at where his bet lies.

Blake Griffin had nothing but praise for Cooper Flagg during his appearance on Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston. “I mean, I think he’s the most complete player that we’ve seen come into the NBA in recent memory,” Griffin said. “I mean, and not saying he doesn’t have room to grow. He still has a ton of room to grow, but I mean, he passes, he shoots, he defends, he rebounds, he seems like a great teammate, seems like a great kid. Um, there’s like what’s what’s like the what’s the red flag? Um, which is like really exciting for basketball to have like these young guys. I mean, even Wemby like very complete as well, but but Cooper is just able to do play so many different positions, guard so many different positions um that it’s exciting.”

In his lone season at Duke, Flagg put up 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. As a freshman, he even won the AP Player of the Year. While Wemby’s dominant inside, Griffin thinks Flagg’s agility on the perimeter sets him apart. What truly sets Flagg apart is his rare two-way impact. Defensively, he’s a wizard, able to guard all five positions with elite shot-blocking and instincts. Offensively, he’s just as versatile, shooting around 38% from three in college and drawing comparisons to a modern Grant Hill or Aaron Gordon for his athleticism, playmaking, and all-around game.

Griffin also expressed his excitement about Flagg’s unique setup in Dallas, which further elevates expectations for his rookie season. “I also love these in Dallas. I think they have a really solid team around them. You know, most number one picks are going to teams that haven’t been doing too great in the past. But I’m just excited for him to like start this journey,” he said. And honestly, he’s right—Flagg’s situation is nothing like what past No. 1 overall picks like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, or even LeBron James walked into. Normally, top picks land on struggling, rebuilding teams where they’re forced to carry the load while still figuring out the NBA themselves.

Flagg, though, is stepping into something completely different: a “win-now” environment stacked with stars. It’s a setup that gives him the rare chance to both develop and compete for a title from day one. Even LeBron echoed the same sentiment, saying, “He [Flagg] has the benefit, unlike myself, he gets to join a team that’s established with Hall of Fame guys — Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving — right off the bat. Hall of Fame coach Jason Kidd. You know, these guys are like, they can give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be.”

NBA veterans share rookie advice for Cooper Flagg

Even though Griffin believes Flagg has everything figured out, he still dropped some heartfelt advice for the rookie. He said, “The only thing I would say is like it’s a different level and it’s a marathon. Like you’re playing a lot of games. There’s a lot of scrutiny. There’s going to be ups and downs. And it’s just like that thing of like ride that ride that wave, you know, like don’t get too high. Don’t get too low. Just be right here. Um, and my only advice that I give to anybody, um, any athlete is like take your craft like very seriously, but like try not to take yourself too seriously. At the end of the day, we’re playing a sport invented for children as a pastime to keep them busy during PE. Um, so let’s keep that in perspective.”

It seems like NBA vets have mastered this mindset and are passing it down to the younger generation because Kevin Durant had pretty similar advice. In a chat with Boardroom, KD kept it straight to the point: “Keep your head down and focus on perfecting your craft, that simple.” Sounds cliché, right? But there’s truth in it. And Durant wasn’t the only one saying it — Malik Nabers, wide receiver for the New York Giants, backed him up. “I would just say, now your life is really under a microscope. Everything you say and do can be used by your organization,” the LSU alum shared.

Jermaine O’Neal also gave advice that hit a little deeper. “Man, just you know, obviously things are a lot different now from a perspective of social media… we’re seeing this impact on how social makes people feel,” O’Neal said. He urged Flagg to block out unrealistic expectations and avoid getting caught up in online pressure, especially with the weight of being the No. 1 pick. “He has to be able to give himself some grace as well… people are expecting him to come in and fill the void. He needs to really just focus on what he can do and his development…”

With Flagg entering the league under sky-high expectations and all the buzz, staying grounded will be key. Still, there’s no denying he’s the No. 1 pick and a “complete package.”