Dallas — Halfway through his first NBA campaign, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is earning high marks from coaches, scouts and executives even as the Dallas Mavericks linger near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Mavericks’ record undermines rookie’s playoff hopes
Dallas enters the second half at 18-26, 12th in the West, putting the club on pace for a second straight single-digit draft pick. The disappointing start contrasts sharply with Flagg’s preseason expectation of immediate postseason play alongside a veteran core.
The Mavericks’ roster has been ravaged by injuries. Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of last year’s blockbuster trade, has appeared in just 20 games and is recovering from ligament damage in his left hand while trade options are explored ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline. Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL in March, has not been cleared to practice, and team sources anticipate discussions about delaying his return until next season.
Position switch boosts production
Flagg struggled when head coach Jason Kidd opened the season with the 6-foot-9 rookie at point guard. Over the first seven games he averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 38.8%. Kidd abandoned the experiment, moving Flagg back to his natural forward role. In the 34 contests since, the 19-year-old has delivered 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists, hitting 49.2% of his shots.
“I don’t know if I was ready for that responsibility right off the bat,” Flagg said in November of his brief stint at point guard. “It wasn’t perfect, but I learned a lot.”
League insiders laud competitiveness
Despite Dallas’ struggles, sentiment around the league is overwhelmingly positive. One Western Conference scouting director said Flagg is “better than advertised.” Multiple coaches praise his relentless energy; Denver’s David Adelman noted the rookie’s consistent intensity, while Philadelphia’s Nick Nurse highlighted his ability to regain composure during games.
An opposing general manager offered a succinct evaluation: “His greatest strength is his competitiveness. He’s a motherf—–.”
Record-setting start for a teenager
Flagg entered the league amid hype unseen for an American prospect since LeBron James. He has already surpassed James’ single-game marks for an 18-year-old with 42 points and 11 assists, and his current scoring average of 18.8 points trails only James’ 20.2 among players that age.
Cementing Rookie of the Year status
Flagg is the lone first-year player ranking top-three in his class in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals, making him the betting favorite for Rookie of the Year. His main challenger is Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel, who averages 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 43.5% from deep and pursuing Keegan Murray’s rookie record of 206 made threes.
Strengths and areas for growth
Flagg converts 53.5% of his attempts inside the arc but is hitting only 28.6% from three-point range, an aspect scouts expect to improve once he adjusts his mechanics in the offseason. He ranks 12th league-wide with 339 points off drives, shooting 53.5% on those plays. Tracking data shows he is equally effective finishing with either hand, compiling at least 60 left-handed and right-handed layups or dunks.
Poise in crunch time
The rookie’s composure has translated to late-game situations: he sits seventh in clutch scoring with 72 points and seventh in clutch assists with 13. After Flagg posted 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a Dec. 23 win, three-time MVP Nikola Jokić remarked that the teenager “looked really mature out there.”
As one Western Conference personnel director summarized, “He’s 18 years old and closing out games. That’s something really special.”
Source: ESPN
