The overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year, Flagg has sky-high expectations to meet, and, if you listen to the experts at ESPN, the Dallas Mavericks rookie is already among the best in the NBA.

In their annual preseason rankings of the top 100 players heading into the NBA season, Flagg is higher than many talented veterans, coming in at No. 52.

Here is what ESPN has to say about the 6-foot-7 star:

The 18-year-old Flagg, who might be the most anticipated American prospect since LeBron James, arrives in the NBA in a distinctive position of being a No. 1 pick on a veteran-heavy roster with playoff aspirations. Mavs coach Jason Kidd plans to give the 6-foot-9 Flagg plenty of opportunity to prove that he can flourish as a point forward. Kidd took a similar approach with a young Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, but the Greek Freak wasn’t surrounded by 30-something future Hall of Famers the way Flagg will be in Dallas. 

The hype will come to a crescendo on Oct. 22 when the Mavericks host the San Antonio Spurs in Flagg’s debut.