Cooper Flagg's shooting slump from downtown reached troubling depths in March, spotlighting a key area for improvement. The 19-year-old Dallas Mavericks forward, who’s hitting just 27.8% from three on the season, saw his accuracy dip to a chilly 18.2% last month.
Among 199 players with at least 40 attempts, this placed him at the bottom of the pack. Despite his impressive all-around skills, this glaring issue is becoming a tougher pill for Dallas to swallow.
Before March, Flagg was connecting on 30.2% of his threes-not great, but manageable. His overall shooting was a solid 48.2%. However, March saw a slump, with his field goal percentage dropping to 42.4%, largely due to his perimeter struggles.
Zooming out, the picture remains a challenge. Flagg’s season stats show a 46.7% field goal percentage and the aforementioned 27.8% from three, contributing to a 54.3 true shooting percentage, ranking him 175th out of 208 qualified players.
Flagg's struggles mirror a broader issue for the Mavericks, who rank 27th in the league in three-point shooting at just 34.2%. They’re also last in the NBA in converting wide-open threes, hitting just 35.0%, and generate the fewest wide-open looks, averaging only 14.5 per game.
Interestingly, Dallas fares better with tighter coverage, aligning with Flagg’s shooting tendencies, as he performs better on open rather than wide-open shots. This highlights a lack of offensive versatility and guard play needed for creating quality shots.
Flagg's expanded role as the primary creator at such a young age may be contributing to his shooting woes. Initially projected as a downhill attacker and opportunistic scorer, he’s now tasked with generating his own opportunities, which could be affecting his confidence. In college, he shot 38.5% from three at Duke, albeit on just 3.6 attempts per game, showing promise but also inconsistency.
While his three-point shooting remains a concern, Flagg excels at the rim and is reliable with mid-range pull-ups. These strengths help mitigate his perimeter struggles, but as he develops, improving his outside shot will be crucial. At just 19, there's still plenty of time for growth, but this aspect of his game is becoming increasingly critical.