Cooper Flagg Only Needed One Year to Prove That the Mavs Had Landed Another Superstar

Flagg had his ups and downs, but he looks like a star in the making.

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg had a brilliant rookie season. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A year on from Cooper Flagg being the unquestioned No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, his rookie season is complete. After a somewhat uneven start, the 19-year-old finished extremely strong and reinforced his status as a franchise cornerstone for the Mavericks.

Flagg played in 70 games this year, starting them all. The 6'9" wing finished as the leader among rookies in points per game (21.0), while averaging 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 33.5 minutes per game. He became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Not bad company.

While he had his up-and-down trends, Flagg’s flashes of brilliance showed why he was such a highly touted prospect before he entered the league. On January 29, he dropped 49 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out three assists in a 123-121 loss to the Hornets. It was a scintillating rookie showdown with former Duke Teammate Kon Knueppel, who had 34 points of his own in the contest.

Flagg also had 45 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block in a win over the Lakers on April 5, outdueling LeBron James, who had 30 points and 15 assists. That performance came two nights after he dropped 51 points against the Magic, becoming the first NBA teenager with a 50-point game.

Flagg’s continued improvement throughout the season should have Mavs’ fans feeling good

For the year, Flagg shot 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from three-point range on 3.5 attempts per game. Encouragingly, the Duke product was far better in his final month of the season, indicating a clear positive trajectory.

In 20 games during October and November, Flagg averaged 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.0 minutes per game. He hit 46.2% of his shots from the field and 25.3% of his shots from deep. He improved dramatically as the season went along.

In six April games, Flagg averaged 29.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.0 minutes per game. He hit 47.4% of his shots from the field and an impressive 42.9% from three-point range on 4.7 attempts per game. Unfortunately, he suffered a sprained ankle in Dallas' final game, limiting him to 10 minutes. Despite that, the trend was clear: Flagg didn't hit the rookie wall, he blasted straight through it.

Like most guys his size, Flagg was at his best in the interior. He shot 65.8% inside the restricted area this season, which is about league average. Inside five feet, he was at 63.1%. Again, league average. Given his age, it's a good sign he can finish well.

On the flipside, he struggled from deep throughout the season. He only hit 28.2% of his catch-and-shoot threes, but was 30.7% on pull-ups. Even in the final two months of the season, when he improved overall, he only hit 29.6% of his catch-and-shoot threes. That's an area of focus moving forward.

What stood out most about Flagg over the final few months of the season was his growing confidence. He averaged 14.0 drives per game after the All-Star break, an increase from 12.3 per game before. The bump in that number shows an increased confidence to attack as he took on more responsibility in the Mavs' offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, things could use some work. Flagg’s defensive rating was 114.7, which is not good. That said, it’s an imperfect statistic, and some of that could be noise related to Dallas being one of the NBA’s worst teams. He averaged 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, which any first-year NBA player would be proud to do. Opponents hit 34.9% from three when Flagg was the primary defender, a solid mark for a rookie wing. From inside six feet, the number was 58.1%, again a solid mark compared to league averages. Given Flagg’s size and athleticism, both of those numbers should improve as he grows and ages.

In the wake of the Luka Dončić trade, the Mavs couldn’t have asked for a better prize than Flagg

The fact that the Mavericks landed Flagg in the first place is something of a miracle—Dallas hit the jackpot at the draft lottery despite just 1.8% odds of winning the first pick.

From the moment the final lottery ball was drawn, the entire basketball world knew Flagg would be the Mavericks’ pick, and just a few months removed from the Luka Dončić rousing fans into outright protest against their own team, the possibility of Flagg emerging as the next face of the franchise was an extremely needed comfort.

Still, no player is a sure thing—we’ve seen players taken with the first pick fail to live up to the hype. While Flagg’s development still has a long way to go (he won’t be allowed to legally drink until Christmas of next year), his performance as a rookie can only inspire hope for Dallas fans.

Before making the jump to the NBA, it had likely been quite a while since Flagg stepped onto a basketball court where he wasn’t always, without a doubt, the best player on the floor. The adjustment to the big leagues can take time, but the improvement that Flagg has already shown is evidence that things are moving in the right direction. Sure, he didn’t step into the NBA and immediately steal a spot as an All-NBA wing, or single-handedly turn the Mavs into a winning franchise. But he certainly looks the part of a budding superstar.

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