Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg isn’t concerned about his early-season offensive struggles through the first two and a half weeks of his NBA career.
It’s been only six games, but the 18-year-old point-forward is averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. That stat line would be impressive for any first-year player, but Flagg entered the league with heavy expectations placed on his shoulders given his status as the No. 1 overall pick.
He arrived in Dallas with the unusual circumstance of being surrounded by future Hall of Fame veterans who could shield him from the nature of rapid reactions to his every waking play. However, with Anthony Davis sidelined at least two games with a left calf strain and Klay Thompson off to a slow offensive start as well, more responsibility was placed on Flagg.
Despite his versatile skill set, he’s struggled on the offensive end with shooting splits of 37 percent from the field and 29 percent from the 3-point line. But the stat that stands out the most is what he’s doing at the free throw line. Flagg has connected on all 21 attempts from the stripe, coming off a perfect 8-of-8 night in Saturday’s loss to Detroit in Mexico City.
He was asked to deliver a message to those concerned about his play through the first six games of his NBA career.
“It’s a tough league. It’s a transition,” Flagg said. “Honestly, I haven’t made a lot of shots or been as efficient as I would’ve wanted to, but I’m gonna just keep trusting the work. It’s nothing I think they should be worried about. I’m not worried about anything.”
Flagg doesn’t wear a sign on his forehead that says, “Hello, I’m 18 years old,” but it’s very much a reality and something to consider when evaluating the first six games of his professional basketball career.
If Flagg took the traditional route through high school, he would be entering his freshman year of college. However, since he reclassified up a year to expedite his basketball career, he’s tasked with learning to play point guard on the fly. While he’s had occasional reps initiating the offense, he’s never consistently played the position on a full-time basis.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd revealed his philosophy behind starting Flagg at point guard after Saturday’s game.
“There’s a couple of things behind him playing point guard. One, is our health,” Kidd said. The other part about handling the ball is being able to handle the pressure when April comes around and you’re playing for something greater. Just to have that experience early on here is a blessing and I think it will only help him in this marathon.”
Among his rookie class, Flagg leads all first-year players with two double-doubles. There were just three rookies averaging more points than Flagg before Sunday night: Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe (21.2), Memphis’ Cedric Coward (15.5) and San Antonio’s Dylan Harper, who was selected with the No. 2 pick. He ranks second among rookies in rebounds and sixth in assists.
Flagg finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists on Saturday but went 3-of-14 from the field. His shot attempts tied his highest amount through six games. That’s a good sign of assertiveness, but a few of his midrange attempts were vastly off the mark. Two of his field goal makes were in-rhythm 3-pointers as he took advantage of defenders choosing to go under screens.
Mavericks legend Shawn Marion was in attendance for his fourth visit to Mexico City. A two-way forward himself, Marion complimented Flagg’s playmaking ability and athleticism.
“His passing,” Marion said. “He’s actually been put in a position right now to be more of a facilitator. … He’s doing very well with it. He’s also a lot more explosive than people give him credit for.”
Marion had a front-row seat to witness Kidd orchestrate an offense on a nightly basis during their five seasons as teammates in Phoenix and Dallas. He’s confident Flagg will figure out his new role in the NBA.
“He’s learning quickly and you can see it,” Marion said. “He’s trying to pick up everything on the fly. It’s gonna be some bad days. There’s gonna be growing pains. But you know what? You gotta fail in order to grow and gain — and get better.”
Story by Mike Curtis, The Dallas Morning News.
