“What’s the red flag?” – Blake Griffin ranks Cooper Flagg above Victor Wembanyama as most complete top pick

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg has fans excited for what’s to come. Flagg was the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA draft and is likely to be the face of the franchise in the future, especially after management traded All-Star guard Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers last season.

Former No. 1 pick Blake Griffin sees the potential with the former Duke star. Griffin appeared as a guest on the latest episode of “Post Moves with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston” on Wednesday. The former NBA star spoke highly of Flagg for what he’s shown early on.

According to Griffin, Flagg is the most complete top pick in the past few years.

"I think he is the most complete player that we've seen come into the NBA in recent memory. I'm not saying he doesn't have room to grow -- he still has a ton of room to grow -- but he passes, shoots, defends (and) rebounds," the former LA Clippers star said.

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"He seems like a great teammate (and) a great kid. There is, like, what’s the red flag? Which is really exciting for basketball to have these young guys. ... Cooper is just able to play and guard so many different positions."

Griffin did not overlook San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. However, the former Slam Dunk champion said that Cooper Flagg's ability to play multiple positions puts him ahead of the Spurs center.

Wembanyama is 7-foot-3 and almost has no flaws in his game. At the highest level, he is capable of doing everything on both ends. As a rookie, Wemby finished as a runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year.

Kyrie Irving's injury could help Cooper Flagg

Kyrie Irving won't be part of the Mavericks squad kicking off the 2025-26 NBA season due to a torn ACL. He'll miss a significant amount of time rehabbing from the injury.

However, Dave Jacoby believes Irving's absence will be beneficial for Cooper Flagg's growth. In last week's episode of "The Mismatch" podcast, the NBA analyst argued how Flagg will benefit.

"Kyrie getting injured is a terrible, terrible, awful thing for all basketball fans, but for the development of Cooper Flagg, I think it actually is helpful," Jacoby said.

He argued that if Irving is healthy, the Mavericks will need to be competitive. That could be a daunting task for a rookie like Cooper Flagg.

Without the 2016 champion, Flagg has more time to develop his feel for the game and get comfortable with his team.

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Reign Amurao

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline. 

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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