Cade Cunningham praises Cooper Flagg for 'special' season ahead of Mavericks-Pistons

The Dallas Mavericks are hosting the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, who happen to be at atop the standings of the Eastern Conference. They also have an All-NBA candidate in Cade Cunningham, who is a Dallas area native and even grew up a Mavericks fan. This is always a special game for him.

Before Thursday's game, which is at 7:30 p.m. CST, Cunningham spoke with reporters about Cooper Flagg, and he gave tremendous respect for a fellow first overall pick.

︀︀"Man, he's been killing it," Cunningham started. "He just had like, what, 42 [points], the other night? To be at his age doing that already, he's got a bright future ahead. We already knew that coming in. That's special. I think he's been doing a great job. A lot of different things have came at him as far as responsibilities, and I think more than anything, through his struggles, he's kept composure and handled it well. I think the mindset is something that's gonna get him a long way in the league, for sure."

Former No. 1 pick, Cade Cunningham, speaks on Cooper Flagg's game and his assesement of his first few weeks in the league.

"Man, he's been killing it. He just had like what, 42, the other night? To be at his age doing that already, he's got a bright future ahead. We already… pic.twitter.com/SDe4Hq3wa1
— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) December 18, 2025

Cooper Flagg won the October/November Western Conference Rookie of the Month award and has only gotten better since then. Playing alongside fellow rookie Ryan Nembhard at point has helped set the table for him, and that's how he's averaging over 25 PPG in the last seven games, scoring 35 points against the Clippers, and then 42 against the Jazz on Monday.

Cunningham also gave praise to Nembhard, saying, "Most importantly, he has a great feel for the game ... he knows where people are at and has a great track of where guys are on the floor and make plays around it."

Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) reacts after a play against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

What's the Next Step for Cooper Flagg?

Cooper Flagg being this impressive as an 18-year-old is basically an anomaly. It's hard not to make the comparisons to LeBron James, but he's the only other 18-year-old we've seen be this good right away. Flagg is already an elite defender and is growing more comfortable scoring around the basket and in the mid-range. His stint as a point guard to start the season has helped his playmaking instincts as well.

For Flagg to take the next step, he has to develop his three-point shot to be at least league average. He's played with a splint on his shooting thumb for the last month, which likely has led to some poor shooting, but it was also his biggest weakness entering the season. Once teams start to respect the three, it's going to open a lot of opportunities for him as a driver.

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