Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Rivals Only Michael Jordan in NBA History For Rookie Seasons

The regular season is finally over for the Dallas Mavericks, as they finished with a 26-56 record, their second-worst record since 2000. One of the few redeeming parts of this season was the play of Cooper Flagg, who turned in a rookie season for the ages.

Flagg left early from the final game due to an ankle injury in the second quarter, which was par for the course given the way the season has gone for the Mavs, but it only puts a small dampener on a historic season, as he scored 10 points in 10 minutes. He ended up averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG for the season, which puts him alongside Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Luka Doncic as the only rookies to average at least 21 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in a season.

That wasn't all. Flagg also became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. To be named next to Jordan in not one, but two different historic feats, is an incredible campaign. And yet, he's nowhere near guaranteed to win Rookie of the Year.

Flagg may be the odds-on favorite to win the prestigious award, but his biggest competition, Kon Knueppel, made history of his own this season, setting the rookie three-point record, as well as leading the NBA in threes made this year. That's going to make for some interesting drama until the award is announced.

These specific historic feats put Flagg on a line to be one of the greatest players of all time. Jordan, Bird, and Robertson are all in the top 12-15 of the greatest players ever, and Doncic is one of the greatest one-man offensive engines of all time. Flagg has a higher defensive ceiling than Doncic, but that shouldn't discount what either player is or will become.

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

Important Offseason Ahead For Cooper Flagg

Flagg's season is ending much earlier than he thought when he joined a team with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, but it's the way the cookie crumbled. He's going to take some time to rest and get healthy, as he suffered a few minor injuries near the end of the season, between the sprained ankle on Sunday night and a wrist injury last week.

However, the Mavericks plan to fully send it in the 2026-27 season with a hopefully healthy Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II. With Flagg entering his second season and another lottery pick coming aboard, the Mavs could be a sneaky team to deal with next year. Flagg will have to develop his catch-and-shoot ability and needs to be a better shooter overall, but he has every skill needed to be a star in this league.

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