The Dallas Mavericks already got plenty from Cooper Flagg in his rookie year. What they didn’t get was the one part of his game that helped make him such a force at Duke.
Flagg’s first season in Dallas was loaded with production: 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, all while shooting 46.8 percent from the field in 70 games. He defended, finished at the rim and handled pressure with maturity.
The problem was clear, though. His 3-point shot lagged behind everything else.
That was a major contrast from his lone season in college, when he hit 38.5 percent from deep on 3.6 attempts per game at Duke. As a Blue Devil, his shooting helped round out a game that already had almost no weak spots. Defenses couldn’t give him room, and if they crowded him, he had the burst to get into the paint anyway.
In Dallas, the shot didn’t travel with him.
Flagg’s 3-point attempts stayed about the same in the NBA, but the efficiency dropped to 29.5 percent on 3.5 tries per game. That dip can be tied to several things: the deeper NBA line, the responsibility of being the primary offensive initiator with Kyrie Irving sidelined, and limited spacing around him. Even so, getting that Duke version of Flagg back from long range would change everything for the Mavericks.
It’s also the area he’s been attacking this offseason. A better jumper is the next step if he wants to push from promising young star into superstar territory as soon as next season.
Dallas needs the improvement just as much as Flagg does. The Mavericks were one of the worst shooting teams in the league, finishing in the bottom five in 3-pointers attempted, 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage.
Flagg, their best player, was part of that problem. His teammates had their own issues knocking down open looks, but the burden still falls on him to help clean up an offense that struggled from deep all year.
The encouraging part is that Flagg already looks like a player built for stardom. He brings lockdown defense, ambidextrous slashing and a mid-range game that’s still developing. Add a dangerous 3-point shot, and he moves into a completely different tier.
There were some small bright spots last season. He shot better than 40 percent from three at the top of the key, which at least hints at real upside on pull-up and trailing threes.
Elsewhere, though, he was inconsistent, especially outside the right corner. And with Irving back in the mix, Flagg may not have to live in the same on-ball grind next season.
That matters. Irving should absorb some of the playmaking load, which would let Flagg slide into more of an off-ball role instead of having to create on nearly every possession. Irving’s presence should also create cleaner looks for Flagg, and that alone could help lift his 3-point numbers.
Dallas doesn’t need Flagg to become a sniper overnight. It does need him to rediscover the skill that made him so dangerous at Duke. If that happens, his ceiling gets a lot more interesting, a lot faster.
In Other News...
Mavericks Avoided A Kawhi Leonard Risk At The Perfect Time
The Mavericks spent part of the summer weighing whether Kawhi Leonard could fit into their plans, but the conversation never turned into a deal. That choice looks a lot cleaner now, especially with the league having already handed down punishment to the Clippers over salary-cap violations tied to Leonard. Dallas, meanwhile, kept its focus on a different kind of roster build, one centered on younger talent and longer timelines rather than another veteran swing.
For a team trying to balance urgency with sustainability, Leonard was always going to come with real complications. The injury history, the age curve and the cost of chasing a star at that stage of his career all pointed in the same direction: a short-term splash, not necessarily a long-term foundation. The Mavericks instead stayed on the path of adding younger pieces such as Cooper Flagg, Zaccharie Risacher and Santi Aldama, a direction that may not carry the same immediate glamour but fits the broader plan better. [Read more 🡒]
Dirk Nowitzki And The Mavs May Finally Be Heading Somewhere Big
Dirk Nowitzkis relationship with the Mavericks has been in a rough patch during the Nico Harrison era, but the front office reset in Dallas has at least opened the door to a fresh conversation. Harrison was fired in November and replaced by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz, a change that immediately changed the tone around one of the most important figures in franchise history.
Nowitzki has already been in touch with Ujiri over the summer, and there is at least a sense that a future conversation about his place with the team is coming. No formal role has been set, which leaves the situation unresolved for now, but for a franchise that has long wrestled with how to reconnect with its greatest player, even the possibility of a new chapter carries weight. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Sent A Clear Message With This Long-Awaited Arrival
The summers wave of draft-and-stash signings has given several teams a cheap way to stockpile young talent, and Dallas has now joined that group by finally bringing Tarik Biberovic into the fold. Players like Biberovic spend years developing overseas after being drafted, then arrive when the timing is right for both sides, giving a club a chance to add another piece without having to navigate the usual free-agent market.
For the Mavericks, the move fits the broader offseason trend of trying to balance long-term upside with roster flexibility. It also underscores how much value teams still place on players who have been out of sight but not out of mind, especially when the front office believes the wait has been worth it and the player is ready to make the leap. [Read more 🡒]