The Dallas Mavericks are in the middle of a rough patch, dropping four straight games, but let’s be clear: they didn’t miss with the No. 1 pick. Cooper Flagg is the real deal.
The rookie out of Duke has been turning heads with performances that don’t just pop off the stat sheet - they demand your attention. In a recent 111-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, Flagg dropped 34 points and grabbed 12 boards.
Impressive, sure. But then came the game against the Charlotte Hornets, where Flagg exploded for 49 points on a blistering 20-of-29 shooting night in a narrow 123-121 loss.
That wasn’t just a career night - it was history. Flagg now holds the record for the most points scored in a single game by a teenager in NBA history.
And it was his second 40-point game of the season, putting him in elite company. Only LeBron James and Anthony Edwards have had multiple 40-point outings as teenagers.
That’s the kind of stat you frame.
But Flagg’s path to stardom hasn’t been without growing pains - and some of those came with the ball in his hands as the Mavericks’ primary playmaker. Early in the season, Dallas handed him the keys to the offense, asking him to initiate and orchestrate. That’s a tall order for any rookie, let alone a teenager still adjusting to the speed and physicality of the league.
In his first seven games as the lead guard, Flagg averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 turnovers per game while shooting just under 39% from the field. Those are solid numbers, but not the kind that scream “instant superstar.” Still, the flashes were there - the court vision, the poise, the willingness to take on responsibility.
Flagg was honest about the challenge. Back in November, he acknowledged that stepping into a point guard role right out of the gate might’ve been a bit much, even for someone with his talent.
“I think it’s a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility that comes with being a point guard, and I don’t know if I was ready for that or if I was ready to handle that right off the bat,” he said. “I tried my best...
It wasn’t perfect, but I think I learned a lot through that.”
That kind of self-awareness is rare in young players, and it speaks volumes about Flagg’s maturity and approach to the game. He’s not ducking the responsibility - he’s learning from it, adjusting, and evolving.
And while the Mavericks are still figuring things out, head coach Jason Kidd made it clear he’s not second-guessing the decision to test Flagg in that role. After the loss to Houston, Kidd didn’t hold back when asked about the criticism surrounding that move.
His response? Let’s just say it was passionate.
Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard himself, defended the developmental path he’s charted for Flagg. He made it known that he’s building for the long haul, and that he trusts what he sees in the young star.
“I build players,” Kidd said. “So I know what I’m doing.”
And so far, the results are backing him up. Zoom out and look at Flagg’s rookie season as a whole: 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game on 48.4% shooting.
That’s not just good for a rookie - that’s foundational. That’s the kind of production you build a franchise around.
The Mavericks may be taking some lumps in the standings right now, but they’ve got a cornerstone in Cooper Flagg. The scoring outbursts are just the beginning.
As his game continues to round out and he grows more comfortable in his role, expect the wins to follow. Because if there’s one thing that’s clear already - Flagg isn’t just learning the league.
He’s starting to take it over.