Sometimes Losing Has Its Positives: Cooper Flagg’s Draft Prospects
In professional sports, every season, teams with the worst regular-season records gain the best chances of earning a high pick in the subsequent draft. This provides hope for NBA fans, particularly those of the Washington Wizards. The team, with a dismal 22-26 record, is currently at the top of the odds board to land the 2025 NBA Draft’s top pick. Cooper Flagg, the star player from Duke, is expected to be the first overall pick.
Flagg’s uneven start to his college career has led to speculation about his future in the draft. While he averages 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, his shooting percentages are below average. At 42.1% from the field and 25% from three-point range, his overall statistics are encouraging but room for improvement remains.
The NBA draft lottery system gives the three worst teams in the league a 14% chance of getting the top pick. The fourth-worst team has a 12.5% chance, while the fifth-worst has a 10.5% chance. This means that the Wizards, who have the worst record in the league, and others may still have an opportunity to land a top pick.
Historically, the team with the worst record does not always get the top pick. Last year, the Atlanta Hawks, who made the play-in tournament, had only a 3% chance of securing the first pick, but they still got the top spot. In 2023, the San Antonio Spurs, with the second-worst record, picked first, while the Detroit Pistons, with the worst record, picked fifth. The last team with the worst record to win the draft lottery was in 2018, when the Phoenix Suns finished 21-61 and selected Deandre Ayton with the top pick.
The hope for fans of teams struggling to find success is that losing can sometimes bring unexpected benefits, like the chance to draft a talented player like Cooper Flagg. With many teams still in the middle of the season, fans can only keep an eye on the standings and wait for the draft lottery results to see which team will be rewarded with the top pick and the chance to snag a highly touted prospect.
