Cooper Flagg Reveals 3 Things He's Worked on Entering Second Season With Mavericks

Cooper Flagg exceeded all of the high expectations people had for him as a rookie, but the Dallas Mavericks went just 26-56, their second-worst season since 2000.

In his first year, Flagg averaged 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.2 SPG, leading the Mavs in all categories. He was special, and the future of the franchise looks bright simply because of him.

As good as he was in his first season, there are a lot of areas he needs to improve on to take that next step as an NBA star in his second season.

NBA's official Twitter/X account posted a quick video talking with Flagg, where he revealed the three things he's been working on this offseason.

"Obviously, my ball handling, shot creation, shooting is up there, too," Flagg answered." Been able to get in the gym with Kyrie [Irving] this offseason, you know, he's back healthy. Kyrie's obviously one of the greats, so just to be able to share the floor with him and learn from him on the fly and be able to compete, it's going to be a lot of fun."

"I'm excited to get back to playing games and improve a lot."

Cooper Flagg checks in during his first NBA offseason!

The 2025-26 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year is excited for all things Year 2, especially getting to share the court with Kyrie Irving for the first time 🙌 pic.twitter.com/yR1XnXOgke
— NBA (@NBA) August 17, 2026

Shooting was arguably the biggest thing that Flagg needed to work on. He was great in the midrange, shooting 47.5% from 5 to 9 feet and 46.5% from 10 to 14 feet. Three-point shooting was a struggle, though, as he shot just 29.5% from behind the arc.

Flagg's 82.7% free-throw shooting indicates that he should be able to develop into at least an average shooter, and having veterans like Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to learn from should only help him more.

Because Jason Kidd insisted on playing him at point guard, Flagg quickly developed into a better ball handler throughout his rookie season. While it helped his personal development, it did not help the team win games.

Now that he's more comfortable with the ball in his hands, Kyrie Irving is back healthy, and they have a new coach in Dusty May, it should make life much easier for the Mavericks' offense.

Apr 12, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) speaks to the crowd before the game against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Else Should Cooper Flagg Focus On?

Because Cooper Flagg was so good as a rookie, his weaknesses weren't as apparent as many thought they'd be.

The few weaknesses he did have, he has already said he's working on this offseason.

Players can always get better at everything, though. Flagg is already a good defender, but he could be better at defending smaller guards.

The biggest jump can come from his shooting. If he can even become a 33/34% three-point shooter, he could become an All-Star this year.

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