Cooper Flagg joins LeBron James in NBA history in Mavericks' win over Nets

The Dallas Mavericks came away with a 119-111 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, making it five wins in their last six games. It was a back-and-forth affair, as no team led by more than two possessions until the final 45 seconds of the game, when the Mavs were finally able to create some separation.

Star rookie Cooper Flagg was magnificent in the game, but especially in the first quarter with 12 points, as he finished with 22 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, a steal, and a block. In Flagg's last six games, he's now averaging 23 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 3.2 APG, which is incredible for an 18-year-old.

Flagg is now 25 games into his NBA career, where he's averaging 17.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 3.4 APG. And with Friday's win, he joined LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Victor Wembanyama as the only players in NBA history with 400+ points, 150+ rebounds, 30+ steals, and 20+ threes made in the first 25 games of a career, per OptaStats.

Players in NBA history to reach 400 points, 150 rebounds, 30 steals and 20 made threes in first 25 games of career:

Cooper Flagg (25th game today)
Victor Wembanyama
Carmelo Anthony
LeBron James pic.twitter.com/jmfMJYuzlL
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) December 12, 2025

It wasn't that long ago when unserious fans were already calling Cooper Flagg a bust, or that he would be the 6th best player in the upcoming draft class. And now, he's arguably the best player on the Dallas Mavericks, a team with Anthony Davis. And Davis had a good game Friday night, especially in the second half, but even he admitted after the game that Flagg's aggressive nature in the first quarter helped open everything up the rest of the way.

Cooper Flagg Growing More Comfortable Around the Basket

Part of the reason for Cooper Flagg's "struggles" to start the season, besides playing out of position at point guard, was that he was struggling to finish at the rim and in the mid-range. Through the first seven games of the season, he only shot 51.5% from less than five feet away, and just 28.6% on shots from 5-9 feet.

Dec 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) runs back up the court during the game between the Mavericks and the Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Over his last 15 games, Flagg is now shooting 67.5% on shots inside of five feet, and a blistering 58.6% on shots from 5-9 feet. Take it a step further, and he's shooting 54.3% on shots from 10-14 feet.

That provides optimism that Flagg will be able to develop his three-point shot, which is really the only weakness in his game so far. He's already THIS good, and he still has a few days before he turns 19. His ceiling may be a little higher than anyone anticipated.

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