Cooper Flagg Is Already Owning Crunch Time-and He’s Just Getting Started
There’s something different about Cooper Flagg. You can see it in the way he moves, the way he reads the floor, and most of all, in the way he embraces the moment. At just 18 years old, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2025 NBA Draft is already looking like he belongs-not just in the league, but in the biggest moments of the game.
And we’re not talking about flashes here and there. We’re talking about consistent, cold-blooded execution when the lights are brightest.
Flagg currently leads the entire NBA in game-tying and go-ahead shot attempts this season-and he’s knocking them down at a jaw-dropping clip of over 70%. That’s not just impressive for a rookie. That’s elite, full stop.
To put it in perspective: since the NBA began officially tracking clutch metrics in the 1996-97 season, no rookie has ever led this particular stat category. Not LeBron.
Not Luka. Not even the legends of earlier eras-at least not in the data era.
Flagg is in uncharted territory, and he’s doing it with a calm that feels anything but rookie-like.
He’s also fourth in total clutch points this season, trailing only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey, and Cade Cunningham-all established stars and primary options for their teams. That’s the company Flagg is keeping, and he’s doing it as a teenager still adjusting to the pace and physicality of the NBA.
But here’s the thing-Flagg doesn’t look like he’s adjusting. He looks like he’s dictating.
The Dallas Mavericks took him No. 1 overall for a reason, and while expectations were high, Flagg is already exceeding them. What’s standing out isn’t just the raw numbers-it’s the composure, the shot-making under pressure, and the ability to rise to the moment when everything tightens up and possessions matter most.
Sure, it’s a long season. The rookie wall is real, and the league has a way of studying tendencies and forcing young players to adapt. But if Flagg’s track record at Duke and his early NBA returns are any indication, he’s more than capable of staying one step ahead.
He’s not just surviving. He’s taking over.
And if this is what he looks like in December of his rookie year, the rest of the league better start paying close attention. Because Cooper Flagg in clutch time? That’s not just must-see TV-it’s a sign of something special taking shape in Dallas.