Cooper Flagg’s latest growth update has already stirred up a familiar piece of basketball wisdom from Draymond Green: if you’re getting that big, work the post.
Flagg said at media day on Friday that he now measures 6'10" without shoes, a jump of more than two inches from the 6'7.75" he was listed at during the NBA Combine. Dallas still has him at 6'9", though the Mavericks rarely make routine updates to listed heights and weights.
Green heard the news and immediately went to the old-school playbook.
"He better get a post game. Try to take advantage of some of these smaller guards that they put on him, some of these small wings that they put on him," Green said on his podcast.
"Get some post game, get some jump hook. That would be a dominant way to get eight points a game for him.
Eight points a game changes things; it's very high percentage."
That kind of advice is nothing new. Older players, and especially former players, have long pushed younger wings and forwards toward the block, even as the league keeps drifting farther from that style.
Flagg did show some post skill last season, using spins to shake defenders and get to the rim. But his game has always leaned more toward finesse, and that makes piling up post possessions harder than it sounds.
The Mavericks’ roster also complicates the picture. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II both need space near the rim to do their best work, which limits how often Flagg can simply park himself on the block. The one caveat, at least in theory, is Dusty May’s wish for Gafford to start shooting threes.
There are lineups where the idea fits better. If Santi Aldama is at center, his career 36% three-point shooting would force defenders to honor him outside, and that could open more room for Flagg inside depending on who else is on the floor.
Still, there’s a reason plenty of people roll their eyes when former players insist every tall guy belongs in the post. The same debate came up often with Kristaps Porzingis, and height alone doesn’t make a player comfortable operating on the block.
The real answer is simple: good coaches put players where they can succeed. If Dusty May wants Flagg in the post, he’ll get post touches.
But everyone in the building also knows what Flagg does best. He’s at his most dangerous with the ball in transition, and May has already made pace a priority in his first season as coach.
So yes, if Flagg gets a point guard switched onto him, there’s room to slow things down and take advantage. Otherwise, the Mavericks would be smart to let Flagg be Flagg.
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