Midseason report card: Cooper Flagg ‘better than advertised’

THIS ISN’T THE way Cooper Flagg envisioned his rookie season unfolding.

Flagg expected to be the rare No. 1 pick who gets playoff experience right away, feeling fortunate to have landed with a franchise that featured a few veteran future Hall of Famers after the Dallas Mavericks cashed in 1.8% chances to win last spring’s draft lottery.

Reality has been a rough contrast as Flagg’s season rolls past the midway point. The Mavs are 18-26 and in 12th place in the Western Conference, putting Dallas on the path to getting another single-digit draft pick to pair with Flagg.

Anthony Davis, acquired as the centerpiece of last year’s blockbuster deal that eventually led to general manager Nico Harrison’s early-season firing, has played only 20 games this season due to a variety of injuries. He might never wear a Mavs uniform again, pending trade discussions leading up to the Feb. 5 deadline as he recovers from ligament damage in his left hand.

The return date of Kyrie Irving, the co-star on the Mavs’ 2024-25 NBA Finals team, as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in early March remains to be determined. He has yet to be cleared to practice, and while Irving has made it clear that he hopes to play this season, sources anticipate that, considering the Mavs’ place in the standings, there will be discussions about postponing his comeback until next season.

As disappointing as the season has been for Dallas, Flagg is getting generally rave reviews from opposing coaches, scouts and executives polled by ESPN.

“He’s better than advertised, if that’s possible,” a Western Conference scouting director said.

FLAGG STRUGGLED with efficiency early in the season when he was starting at point guard, a position he had never played. Mavs coach Jason Kidd ended that experiment after the first seven games, with 6-foot-9 Flagg averaging 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting only 38.8% from the floor.

Flagg has averaged 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 49.2% from the floor in 34 games since shifting back to primarily playing his natural forward position.

“I think it’s a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility that comes with being a point guard, and I don’t know if I was ready for that or if I was ready to handle that right off the bat,” Flagg said in November. “I tried my best, and I mean, that’s not to say I can’t go back to it and can’t work on it and get better, but I think it’s just worked out where it’s been better to have somebody else helping out, relieving pressure. … It wasn’t perfect, but I think I learned a lot through that.”

Even when Flagg struggles, he stands out to opposing coaches and executives. Philadelphia’s Nick Nurse noted Flagg’s ability to “regather his composure” throughout games despite dealing with the mental and physical fatigue that comes with playing heavy minutes while handling a lot of responsibilities.

“His greatest strength is his competitiveness,” a West GM said. “He’s a motherf—er.”

Several coaches have commented on Flagg’s relentless effort regardless of circumstances.

“When he doesn’t play well, I still really like watching him play because of the way he plays,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “The intensity, I think that takes you a long way because you’re going to go through ups and downs when you’re young. He’s really impressive.”

Flagg’s blend of size, skill and feel for the game is unique, but it’s his competitive character that earns the most praise from people around the league.

“It’s very rare that you get a guy that is that skilled and he plays the hardest of anybody on both sides of the floor,” an East scout said. “That’s a winning player.”

FLAGG ARRIVED IN the NBA with as much hype and anticipation as any American prospect since arguably LeBron James 23 years before.

James was the only frequent reference point for Flagg’s offensive production as an 18-year-old. Flagg, who turned 19 on Dec. 21, broke James’ NBA records for the most points (42) and assists (11) in a game at 18. James is the only player ever to score more points per game at that age, averaging 20.2 points as an 18-year-old, compared with Flagg’s 18.8.

Talent evaluators consider Flagg’s scoring to be somewhat of a pleasant surprise. He was the consensus top-ranked player on draft boards because of his all-around impact, but there was some skepticism that Flagg could be a primary scorer, especially early in his career.

“I actually thought his offense would take longer than it has,” a West general manager said. “All these guys being out has given him freedom to explore and expand his game. He’s so big, and he’s realized he can just get to his spots. I’ve always thought he’d be that 1B [offensive option], but he’s an alpha for your team. He plugs every gap.”

Flagg, the only rookie to rank among the top three in his class in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals, is the betting favorite for Rookie of the Year. His primary competitor for that honor is Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, Flagg’s roommate last season at Duke. Knueppel is averaging 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He’s shooting 43.5% from 3-point range and is on pace to shatter Keegan Murray‘s rookie record of 206 3s made.

Flagg’s most glaring weakness is his 3-point shot (28.6%), a facet of his game that people around the league predict will develop as he reworks his shot mechanics during offseason work. But he’s shooting 53.5% inside the arc, beating defenders with a blend of skill and physicality, a frightening thought considering that he’ll add significant bulk and strength as his body matures.

“The biggest thing that stands out to me is his athleticism,” a West scout said. “If I’m the GM here, I’m adding as much shooting as possible and building around him for a long time.”

Flagg has already proved to be an outstanding driver despite Dallas’ spacing issues due to a lack of perimeter shooting. According to NBA Advanced Stats, Flagg ranks 12th in the league with 339 points off drives, shooting 53.5% in those situations.

Scouting reports note that Flagg is especially effective as a left-handed driver and finisher despite being a natural righty. He’s the only player in the league with at least 60 made layups and dunks with his left hand and with his right hand, according to ESPN Research. He has 109 attempted layups and dunks with his left hand this season, the second most of any righty in the league, trailing only Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, according to GeniusIQ tracking. He also often makes floaters and hooks in traffic with his off hand.

“His ability to finish with both hands in traffic at the rim and just outside the lane and restricted area is impressive,” an East scout said. “He’s a hard left driver. I think teams will pick up on that more and more, which could lower his efficiency.”

Flagg has wowed the league’s veterans with his poise, prompting three-time MVP Nikola Jokic to say the teenager “looked really mature out there” after Flagg’s 33-point, 9-rebound, 9-assist performance in a Dec. 23 win over the Denver Nuggets. Flagg has shown that he’s remarkably comfortable as the primary option closing games. He ranks seventh in the league in clutch points (72) and assists (13) in clutch situations, defined as the score being within five points in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime.

“He’s what everyone thought he would be,” a West pro personnel director said. “He’s 18 years old and closing out games — making shots and making plays to close games. That’s just not normal. That’s something really special.”

ESPN’s Matt Williams contributed to this story.

Originally published at ESPN