Freshman forward Cooper Flagg and the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils open their competition in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament on Friday afternoon against No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s. Following the conclusion of March Madness in early April, Flagg is widely expected to be selected with the first overall pick during the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25.
33-year-old forward Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers (39-30) will host the Memphis Grizzlies (43-27) in a key clash on Friday night between the current seventh and fifth seeds, respectively, in the Western Conference playoff picture. The Clippers have just 13 regular season games left before a probable playoff appearance, attempt to advance past the opening round of the postseason for the first time since 2021 and unlikely first appearance in the NBA Finals in franchise history.
In a piece published on Friday morning, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony detailed their recent exchanges with 10 NBA executives regarding the Blue Devils first-year sensation.
Among the notable parts of the scouting report on Flagg was when one NBA general manager compared the ACC Player of the Year to Leonard.
NBA GM: Flagg is ‘Better Overall Player’ as Freshman Than Leonard Was
The ESPN NBA draft analysts noted that while “production and projection are two different things,” it helps that Flagg’s “dominance at the college level is backed up by the stats as well as the eye test, especially when scouts compare him to NBA stars.”
“The best comp I’ve heard from our scouts is prime Kawhi Leonard,” a Western Conference GM said, according to the ESPN report. “Now, that’s not perfect because they are very different players at the same age, but it’s the one I like in terms of their style of play, two-way versatility, passing and the fact that they can both guard point guards, wings and big men.”
After being selected by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft and being traded to the San Antonio Spurs, the San Diego State product spent seven seasons playing under legendary head coach Gregg Popovich. Leonard then played one year with the Toronto Raptors (leading them to their first and only championship) and is now in his fifth campaign with the Clippers (missing the entire 2021-22 season due to injury).
Along with his two NBA titles and pair of NBA Finals MVPs, Leonard is a six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA player and two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
“Kawhi’s defense was way ahead of his offense, and he has a lot of the same manufactured qualities (as Flagg) to his handle and shooting. … But I think about his unwavering confidence and relentless work ethic combined with his physicality, IQ and physical tools. That’s what helped him become an MVP candidate and the best player on a championship team,” the GM said.
The ESPN report explained that when Leonard was drafted, he was viewed as a player with “a future as a defensive stopper on the wing.”
“(Flagg’s) a better shooter, a better passer and a better overall player as a freshman,” the GM said.
Looking Back at Leonard’s 2 Seasons With San Diego State
Prior to his Hall-of-Fame caliber NBA career, Leonard played two seasons with the Aztecs from 2009-2011.
The soft-spoken star was the Mountain West Conference (MWC) Rookie of the Year as a freshman after averaging 12.7 points and a conference-leading 9.9 rebounds per game, while leading San Diego State to a 25-9 record and NCAA Tournament appearance. Seeded 11th, Leonard and company lost to No. 6 Tennessee in the first round of the event.
The eventual 15th overall draft pick improved as a sophomore, earning second team consensus All-American status, finishing as a Wooden Award finalist, leading the MWC in rebounds per game again (10.6) and posting 15.5 points per contest. Under longtime Aztecs lead man Steve Fisher, Leonard helped the squad to a program-record 34 wins, No. 2 seed in the tournament and run to the Elite Eight, before they fell to eventual-champion UConn.
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