As the first overall pick in this summer’s draft, young swingman Cooper Flagg is set to become the new face of Dallas Mavericks basketball. During a chat on the ‘DLLS Mavs’ podcast, former team owner Mark Cuban gave his honest review of Flagg and revealed why he’s optimistic about his future in the NBA.
“Other than maybe improving his three-point shooting, what can’t he do? When you have a jack of all trades like that, who also has a motor and has toughness to them, is a worker, and is 18 years old…” said Cuban.
After losing their primary superstar in February, the Mavericks were headed on a downward spiral until they won the lottery and landed the top pick. GM Nico Harrison could have traded the pick for win-now talent, but he elected to keep Flagg, and expectations have been set reasonably high for his rookie campaign.
“Is he going to come in here and score 30 a game? No,” Cuban added. “I think J-Kidd will put the reins on him slowly, but having him be able to play point forward all the time, as he gets a feel for the game, he’s gonna get better and better.”
There was some resentment for Flagg early on, just based on the fact that he was replacing Luka. Many fans are still bitter about his exit and are hesitant to crown the rookie out of Duke as their next great superstar.
Still, his arrival has sparked some life into the organization, and if he can live up to his potential, it will begin a whole new era of Mavericks basketball. With averages of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 48.1% shooting in college, he’s already flashed his elite scoring and playmaking abilities, and he’s being described as one of the most complete prospects of modern NBA history.
At 6’9″, he’s got the length and size to be a smothering defender, but he’ll also be tasked with running the show offensively. As a capable point forward, he’ll have the ball in his hands a lot as Kyrie Irving continues his recovery from a torn ACL.
How far he can take the Mavericks this upcoming season remains to be seen, but he’ll have plenty of support along the way. The first line of defense is Anthony Davis, who is determined to bring the joy back to the fans by leading the team on a title run.
They will be joined by 4x NBA champion Klay Thompson, who was a major scoring threat for the Mavs last season with averages of 14.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 41.2% shooting. Dallas will also have Daniel Gafford in the frontcourt, adding resistance in the paint and a steady hand to make easy buckets under the rim.
If Flagg can step up and become the leader that the Mavericks need him to be, it could be the catalyst for another Finals run. If not, things could turn ugly as the fans start to reminisce about the Luka era.
For Cuban, while he may no longer be calling the shots, he still believes in what the franchise is doing. While he may not have approved the Doncic trade, it doesn’t mean that it won’t pay off if Cooper can live up to his potential and the expectations around him.
