Cooper Flagg has already noticed a different feel around the Mavericks, and he hasn’t even gotten to a preseason game yet.
After a rookie year that showed off exactly why Dallas took him No. 1 overall, Flagg is looking at a reworked roster and seeing something he believes the team badly needed: a reset in how the group carries itself day to day. The Mavericks changed plenty this offseason, bringing in a new head coach and eight new players, and Flagg said that has already started to reshape the atmosphere.
In an interview with WFAA’s Dia Wall, Flagg pointed to culture as the biggest shift.
“I think the biggest thing with all the changes has been culture," Flagg said. "Changing the culture, getting back to just a competing, winning culture. That’s what I’m looking forward to, just competing every single night and being surrounded by a lot of people that are committed and wanting to compete as well."
He added, "I'm really excited for that and hopefully just to build on something special and build a foundation."
That kind of tone matters for Dallas, which went through a rocky season with nine losing streaks of three or more games. The roughest runs came from January 24 to February 20, when the Mavericks dropped nine straight, and again from February 26 to March 10, when they lost eight in a row.
Flagg’s own first season still gave Dallas plenty to build on. He won Rookie of the Year and put together a strong debut campaign, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 33.5 minutes per game.
Now the 19-year-old says he wants the next version of the Mavericks to feel different to everyone involved, including the fans.
"Really excited, and that's kind of like what I said, just bringing back that culture," Flagg said. "We want to get the fans back excited and energetic every single night. I think if we can bring the fans back some joy, it can help us a lot."
He continued, "It helps a lot having the fans show up every single night and being in the game," Flagg continued. "I'm excited for that. We can hopefully bring that back to them and give them that joy."
Dallas opens its preseason on Friday, October 9, against the Houston Rockets. Tip-off is set for 7:00 a.m. CST at the Venetian Arena in China.
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