Every NBA fanbase who has been eliminated from playoff contention or is on the verge of being eliminated has turned their focus to the 2025 NBA Draft, where Duke's Cooper Flagg is the crown jewel who could turn a franchise around in a hurry.
Among those who could greatly benefit from landing the No. 1 overall pick is the Charlotte Hornets. They own the NBA's longest playoff drought and have been riddled with injuries for three consecutive seasons. The wins may not be there to show it, but the Hornets have some of the best young pieces in basketball with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams. If that trio can stay healthy and Charlotte lands Cooper Flagg, the Hornets could put an end to that playoff drought rather quickly.
Current Hornets guard Seth Curry, who is also a Duke alum, was asked about his thoughts on the soon-to-be top overall pick during an interview with TMZ Sports.
“He’s special, man. He does it all on both ends. I wouldn’t say he doesn’t have a weakness but he can do everything you ask of him on the offensive end of the floor. He can play that point forward where he’s running the show, takeover scoring the ball, he can get his teammates involved, he can shoot the J, get to the free throw line. And then defensively, he’s one of the best defenders in the country already at that age. I think it’s going to translate well to the next level. He does it all. He’s got that competitive edge, too. He’s nasty. At that age, he’s as confident as they come and he ain’t afraid of anything.”
️ Seth Curry on Cooper Flagg: "He's special, man."
— r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit (@HornetsReddit) March 27, 2025
"He can do everything you ask of him on the offensive end of the floor. [...] Defensively, he's one of the best defenders in the country already at that age. I think he's going to translate well to the next level as well..." pic.twitter.com/TGuEycraSE
The bottom three teams in the NBA will all receive a 14% chance of landing the top overall pick. Entering Thursday's slate of games, the Hornets have the NBA's third-worst record at 18-54, meaning that if the season ended today, they would be one of the three teams with the best odds to win the lottery.
Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils will take on the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday night at 9:39 p.m. ET in the Sweet Sixteen.
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