Whenever the basketball-watching world is put on phenom watch, the hype comes early and constantly. An impressive performance in any setting is enough to inspire lofty prognostications and excessive drooling. Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg has had that effect on people since he was in high school, and as his official NBA regular season debut draws closer, the excitement is rising to sky-high levels.
Flagg dazzled fans in his second preseason game, displaying confidence and impressive versatility in Saturday night's home matchup versus the Charlotte Hornets. He scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting with four assists, three rebounds and three steals in 24 minutes of action. Although the No. 1 overall draft pick did not post eye-popping numbers in the 120-116 loss, he continues to show poise and skill well beyond his 18 years of life experience.
NBA correspondent Marc Stein took notice of Flagg's prowess during this exhibition game, which included contested jumpers and a nifty sequence that saw him dribble behind his back and knock down a shot over Hornets star LaMelo Ball.
“Bold home preseason opener take: I think Cooper Flagg will win Rookie of the Year,” he posted on X.
While Stein is being sarcastic, Flagg winning the ROY award would be quite incredible when one considers the circumstances. He is the youngest player in the league and is on a squad with future Hall of Famers in Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson (Kyrie Irving may return at some point, too). That is not a straightforward path to instant accolades.
However, Stein sees what so many others do. The former Duke star and Wooden Award winner just looks so comfortable on an NBA court.
The people believe in the Mavericks newcomer
Fans are fawning over Flagg. “Dude the Truth omg,” @6JAC0 commented on X. “His ceiling is modern Larry Bird,” @cartertalkshoop declared. “Cooper Flagg is really HIM,” @DoubleUp_Rizzle remarked.
Even a complete prospect like the 6-foot-9 forward is bound to endure some rough patches, but he has the instincts, mentality and talent to make an immediate impact for the Mavericks. Monday's preseason meeting with the Utah Jazz should give Flagg another opportunity to captivate the masses.
