Former Mavericks Lottery Pick Drops Impressively Dumb Take on Cooper Flagg

Maybe former players don't know better, especially when they drop takes like these about Cooper Flagg.

Jan 12, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg has been on an all-time heater for the Dallas Mavericks this week. He scored a franchise rookie-record 49 points on Thursday night in a Rookie of the Year battle against Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets, which were the most points ever scored by a teenager, then followed it up against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night with 34 points.

For the season, Flagg is now averaging 19.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 4.1 APG, and while the three-point shot is still coming around, his efficiency inside the arc is borderline incredible, especially with his left hand. It makes it more impressive when you consider that he should just now be a freshman in high school.

Flagg reclassified to get to Duke a year early. He dominated there, won National Player of the Year, then declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, where he was selected first overall by the Mavericks, and he's been tearing the NBA up. And yet, there are people who still think Flagg doesn't stack up to the 2026 NBA Draft class. Including a former Mavericks top-five pick: Jamal Mashburn.

"I look at last year's number one pick in Cooper Flagg, if I was to put him on that list [of current freshmen], he'd be sixth," Mashburn said on a TNT studio college basketball show. "...Just from a skill set and also elevation, a level of where they can get to, I personally think, Caleb Wilson, he's going to take a humongous jump at the pro level... I just think this freshman class, and you can contribute everyone from last year, those guys will still be at the top of the list. Cooper Flagg has some holes in his game."

"If I was to put [Cooper Flagg] on that list [of current Freshman], he would be 6th." 😳@jamalmashburn breaks down why this year's top Freshman stand out to him 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/qGkknRPSgp

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 31, 2026

READ MORE: 3 Overreactions as Cooper Flagg Shines Once Again, But Mavericks Fall to Rockets

The Cooper Flagg Discourse Has Gone Too Far

This isn't the only time this season that people have discredited Cooper Flagg, as Yahoo! Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported earlier in the year that one executive told him that they believed Cooper Flagg would be the sixth-best player in the 2026 NBA Draft. And yes, the 2026 Draft is loaded with potential star talent between Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Kingston Flemings, Koa Peat, Caleb Wilson, and more. But Cooper Flagg would go second, at worst, out of that group.

Here is the entire list of players to average at least 19.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 4 APG in their rookie season: Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Luka Doncic, Sidney Wicks, and Cooper Flagg. Wicks is the only one of that group who didn't turn into a Hall-of-Famer (Doncic would make the Hall of Fame if he were to retire after this season), and he was still a 4-time NBA All-Star and won Rookie of the Year.

Cooper Flagg is having a special season, and it's not like it came out of nowhere. He played against Team USA last summer as part of the USA's Select Team and consistently impressed against All-Stars and MVPs. He's carried that over to an impressive rookie season, and it may be slightly overshadowed because of all the drama with the team between the Luka Doncic trade last year, Kyrie Irving's injury recovery, and Anthony Davis trade rumors and injuries.

We can praise the 2026 class for being as talented as it is while still realizing how special a season Cooper Flagg is having. His only "hole" is his three-point shooting, and it's getting better as the season goes along. He can get to the basket, finish with either hand, his ball-handling has massively improved, he's a great defender, he has a high motor, and he can play on or off the ball. He's going to be a superstar very, very soon.

READ MORE: Knicks Preparing Underwhelming Trade Package for Coveted Dallas Mavericks Wing

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