Cooper Flagg has been a great phenomenon during the early stages of his professional basketball career with the Dallas Mavericks. After dominating college basketball while playing at Duke last year, the Mavericks made him the No. 1 pick in last year's NBA draft. Flagg had demonstrated at Duke that he was skilled at scoring, rebounding, ball handling and passing. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd recognized all these talents and he asked the 6-9 Flagg to play point guard for Dallas as a rookie.
From one generation to another 🤝
Dirk Nowitzki (@Swish41) talks with rookie Cooper Flagg about his first season in the league, the Dallas community and a whole bunch more! pic.twitter.com/z0aTg2547o
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) February 7, 2026
This seemed like a strange request because Flagg could contribute to the Mavericks in so many areas. It was a difficult ask by Kidd because Flagg had to make an adjustment when asked to play such a demanding position, and there were some issues early in the season. However, Flagg has put sensational numbers on the board.
He is averaging a team-leading 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is on his way towards gaining superstardom status in the NBA and winning multiple honors at the end of the season.
In a conversation with Hall of Famer and former Maverick Dirk Nowitzki, he said it took time to adjust to what Kidd asked him to do. “J. Kidd wanted to stick me into the fire right away, and now I am reaping the benefits,” Flagg said.
Nowitzki told Flagg that he truly admired the multiple strengths he had on the court, and he remembered how different it was for him. “The only thing I was looking to do was score,” Nowitizki said. “You can do so much more and I admire everything you do.”
It is clear that Flagg is getting more comfortable in the NBA on an every-game basis, and he is the player that the Mavericks are building their team around.
