Lately, Cooper Flagg has gone above and beyond the call of duty. The rookie sensation for the Dallas Mavericks has been entrusted with the of starting point guard role. With that will come a certain amount of criticism as to whether the No.1 pick coming off one year at Duke has what it takes.
However, Flagg has risen to the occasion over the last six games, per the Mavericks PR. Altogether, Cooper has averaged 23.0 points (.563 FG%, .848 FT%), 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. In the process, the Mavericks have compiled a 5-1 record.
Additionally, Dallas is 4-0 during games in which Flagg has scored 20+ points. Currently, Dallas holds a 10-16, record, and on Friday they defeated the Brooklyn Nets 119-111. Flagg played 34 minutes and scored 22 points with eight assists and five rebounds.
On Monday, Dallas will head to Utah to take on the Jazz. The organization has had to endure plenty in just a single calendar year. First, there was the trading of Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving suffering an ACL injury, and the firing of GM Nico Harrison, just to name a few.
Meanwhile, Flagg has been the one bright spot for Dallas during this chaotic time.
Cooper Flagg is helping enhance the Mavericks' image.
Given all they have been through, Dallas is lucky not only to have the No. 1 draft pick but also to have him performing pretty well. Throughout the history of the NBA, a few players whohave steered the ship in a new direction. In other words, they and their team slowly but surely began to show progress after a period of languishing.
That was true with Michael Jordan and the Bulls, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets, Larry Bird and the Celtics, Tim Duncan and the Spurs, and Steph Curry and the Warriors. Granted, that is a high bar for a guy just starting.
Nevertheless, history has shown that a young talent can be the spark that turns things around.
