Multiple Lottery Picks Set to Face Off in Tonight's NBA Slate

The 2025 NBA Draft class has been spectacular to start the season. Plenty of rookies have made a great impression a quarter of the way through the season. With the NBA Cup nearing an end, more teams are resuming play with the weekend approaching.

Friday night's slate gives us seven games, two of which feature lottery picks facing off for the first time. Four players selected within the top 10 of the draft play tonight:

Brooklyn Nets @ Dallas Mavericks

Key Matchup: Egor Demin vs. Cooper Flagg

These are two very different players, both in terms of play style and public view. On one hand, Flagg is the generational star that fans everywhere have fallen in love with. The Mavericks are improving with his development, having won four of their last five games, while the No. 1 pick is averaging 20.3 points per game in December.

As for Demin, many questioned his selection at No. 8. The Russian guard has received limited opportunities, but has still shown what he can do in big minutes. The former BYU star is averaging 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season.

Flagg finds his groove inside the arc, shooting over 50% on two-pointers. He has a knack for getting into the paint, running in transition, and rising up for smooth midrange jumpers.

Demin is very different, gravitating toward the deep ball. He's shooting threes at a 35.1% clip, not bad for a rookie. However, he isn't one to take the ball inside off the dribble, attempting just 2.5 shots within the arc per game.

At 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-9, Demin and Flagg could get matched up together on certain possessions, although the Mavericks' rookie is longer, stronger and more explosive.

Utah Jazz @ Memphis Grizzlies

Key Matchup: Ace Bailey vs. Cedric Coward

Bailey and Coward have had similar production through the early portion of the season. Coward has been more of a surprise, being a late-lottery pick. The Grizzlies' rookie is putting up 13.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game thus far. After a hot start, he has cooled off a bit.

Bailey has found more opportunities with Will Hardy, embracing the young core. He's also shown improvement in the efficiency department, posting 45-37-77 shooting splits (10.3 points per game).

These two could easily get matched up tonight despite one being 6-foot-9 and the other being 6-foot-5. Coward is a smaller forward, but he still fits the prototypical mold and has proven he can stop wings at a solid level.

Both wings have shown flashes as two-way players. Keep an eye on not just the offensive output, but the ball stoppage on the other end.