2025 NBA Draft: The Duke Front Court Dynamic

The Duke Blue Devils will have their season opener in the regular season on Nov. 4 versus Maine. This Duke team only has two key returners, notably guards Tyrese Proctor -- who’s entering his junior season -- and sophomore Caleb Foster. They will have a very young team, but despite being an inexperienced squad they have the number one recruiting class in the country coming in as it includes five total five-star recruits and one four-star recruit.

Presumably, the starter at the power forward position will be Cooper Flagg and at the center will be Khaman Maluach. With these freshmen starting next to each other, they will have to learn how to play off of one another. Flagg is an easy plug-and-play prospect as he is extremely versatile on both ends of the floor. He has the ability to operate on or off the ball offensively.

Flagg is best as a scorer when he’s slashing or cutting but can also make difficult shots off the dribble. He has also shown the ability to create open shots for others as a secondary playmaker. On the defensive end is where he shines the most as he’s an elite secondary rim protector while also having the ability to defend out in space effectively.

Flagg is a defensive playmaker who takes pride on that end of the floor and plays with a lot of intensity, meaning Maluach should be able to feed off of his energy. The 7-foot-1 center is a great primary rim protector with great defensive tools. He has the chance to be the best interior defender in all of college basketball with the combination of his tools, defensive feel and anticipation.

The combination of Flagg and Maluach could end up being the best rim-protecting duo in all of college basketball. On the offensive end, Maluach is still a bit raw but he shows promise. As of right now, he’s best as a play finisher and a vertical floor spacer but he has the ability to stretch the floor out to the 3-point line. He has solid shot mechanics and good touch.

If he can consistently make outside jumpers then he will undoubtedly be a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Overall this duo is going to be so fun to watch at Duke and it will be interesting to see how their chemistry and play styles evolve and co-exist.