Dallas Mavericks pillar Cooper Flagg has missed the last seven games with a foot injury, leaving his Rookie of the Year prospects in serious doubt heading into the final seven weeks of the season. A Tuesday night road matchup versus the Charlotte Hornets would give him the opportunity to outdo former Duke roommate Kon Knueppel, his biggest competition for the aforementioned award. Flagg is not expected to suit up in the Spectrum Center, but his return is imminent.
“Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has already announced that Flagg playing Tuesday in Charlotte in another Rookie of the Year showdown against the Hornets' Kon Knueppel is ‘probably not' in play … but stay tuned,” NBA Correspondent Marc Stein writes in his substack. “A game that surely means as much to the Maine-raised Flagg — Dallas' lone visit of the season to Boston — is Friday night.”
The 19-year-old suffered a left midfoot sprain against the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 10 and is surely growing anxious after being confined to the sidelines. Dallas does not mind improving its NBA Draft lottery odds while Flagg recovers, but the organization understands how much a TD Garden game means to the New England native. Although a sea of green will still fill the arena, the Mavs phenom is bound to receive a hearty welcome in Boston.
Cooper Flagg is scoring a rookie-leading 20.4 points per contest while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from 3-point land. He is also averaging 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals through 49 games. Knueppel is emerging as a new ROTY favorite after making history from beyond the arc, but one cannot underestimate the baggage the No. 1 overall pick has had to carry amid the Mavericks' injury troubles and organizational follies.
Flagg will ideally gain vital experience after facing ample adversity in his first NBA season. He does not need to win any hardware this year to know that a promising career lies ahead of him. If the teenager can just keep getting better and finish the campaign strong, both he and the franchise will be thrilled heading into the summer.
ClutchPoints will keep you informed on the latest injury updates surrounding Flagg.
