Cooper Flagg’s rookie season showed plenty of what makes him such a special offensive player, but the defensive side didn’t fully get to shine the way it did in high school and at Duke. That could change in a big way next season, and Kyrie Irving’s return is a major reason why.
With Irving back in the mix, Flagg should be able to spend more of his energy where Dallas may need it most: on defense. That matters because the extra gas in his tank could translate into more blocks, more steals, and more chances to spark the Mavericks in transition.
Irving remains one of the game’s elite shot creators, and that gives Dallas a different kind of balance. Flagg will still get his chances as a primary option, but he won’t have to carry nearly as much of the offensive load. Irving can take on more of the ball-handling and bring-the-ball-up responsibilities, while the Mavericks can use Flagg more as a finisher in their sets.
That workload mattered last season. Flagg posted a 26.9 percent usage rate, which ranked 21st in the NBA, and he was by far the most heavily used Maverick. As exciting as his offense was, he still isn’t a true point guard, and he admitted multiple times how much of an adjustment it was conditioning-wise to handle that kind of role and bring the ball up so often under Jason Kidd.
Flagg plays with relentless energy, and nobody around the Mavericks is questioning his work ethic. But there’s only so much a player can pour out over the course of a game, and that likely played a part in why he wasn’t quite an elite defender last season.
He was still above average on that end. There were plenty of moments when his weak-side shot blocking helped Dallas, and he averaged 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game as a rookie. Even so, he didn’t always have enough left to consistently bother quicker wings and guards at the point of attack.
That’s why next season feels like it could be a real step forward defensively. Flagg’s defense was his calling card before the NBA, and with Irving helping ease the offensive burden, he has a chance to become much closer to the two-way force he looked like earlier in his career.
Mavericks fans should have that leap on their radar. Last season asked Flagg to carry an offense that was rough at times, and that shouldn’t be the case again if Irving stays healthy. He’s also already had a year to adjust to the speed, strength, timing, and conditioning required to defend at this level, which makes a solid jump on that end feel well within reach.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irvings Return Could Force A Huge Mavs Decision
Kyrie Irving is working his way back from the right knee ACL tear that ended his season, and his return-to-play track has become one of the more interesting moving parts in Dallas. The Mavericks are trying to map out a future that increasingly points toward young talent Cooper Flagg, even as Irving remains an established star whose presence changes the entire shape of the roster.
The uncertainty is what makes this such a complicated front-office storyline. Irvings fit in Dallas still matters on the floor, but his long-term place with the Mavericks is far from settled, and his comeback could sharpen the decision the organization has to make about whether to keep building around him or listen if the market develops around a healthy veteran guard. For now, it is another reminder that Dallas is not just managing a rehab, but a roster direction. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Already Look Right For Moving On From This Young Guard
The Mavericks latest roster move was really about opportunity cost. In the six-team deal that brought Santi Aldama to Dallas, the club sent AJ Johnson to Memphis, a reminder of how quickly a young player can become expendable when the fit is off and the shot is not falling. Johnsons path has already been unusually unstable for someone still waiting to settle into a real NBA role, and the Mavericks made it clear they were comfortable moving on rather than waiting for development to catch up.
Memphis did not hold onto him for long either, flipping Johnson again as part of a separate trade package with New Orleans. For Dallas, the sequence underscores a straightforward evaluation of a guard whose shooting struggles and positional fit never seemed to line up with what the team needed. The front office has shown it is willing to keep reshaping the roster around cleaner fits, even if it means closing the book quickly on a player who arrived with some upside but left before there was much chance to see it. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Are Quietly Making Moves Fans Should Be Watching
The Mavericks have spent the offseason adding more than just names to the roster conversation. Alongside the usual player-market chatter, Dallas has also been reshaping its basketball operations group, a quieter kind of work that can matter just as much once the season starts. For a team trying to stay sharp on every edge, those back-office moves are part of the larger picture the front office has been building.
One of the more interesting under-the-radar developments is the way Dallas keeps positioning itself for what comes next, both in the organization and around the league. With other front offices still sorting through unresolved business, including Jalen Durens looming decision in Detroit and the ripple effects of delayed roster moves elsewhere, the Mavericks are making sure their own house is in order. It is the sort of steady churn that does not always grab headlines right away, but often ends up mattering when the season begins to turn. [Read more 🡒]