Cooper Flagg Makes It All Make Sense

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg scored 43 points on 25 shots, adding 10 rebounds, six assists, four stocks, and eight made free throws in 39 minutes during a Monday night win over the Indiana Pacers, according to Defector. The Mavericks trailed by 10 at halftime before Flagg hit three consecutive midrange jumpers to spark a rally, then controlled the fourth quarter in a game played on the second night of a back-to-back. Flagg turns 20 next week and is only months older than the youngest players in the following draft class.

Defector reports that Flagg’s confidence is the main difference from his rookie year, when he won Rookie of the Year over Kon Knueppel despite playing for a team that was “awful by design” under coach Jason Kidd, who used the 6-foot-8 forward as a point guard alongside Marvin Bagley III and John Poulakidas. This season, Flagg is averaging 6.9 assists, up from 4.5, while no longer playing point guard, and is attempting 7.2 free throws per game. He is shooting 29 percent from three-point range, with a shooting form described as “wonky early–LeBron James shooting form” that appears more effective on the move.

Defensively, Flagg has shown increased appetite, highlighted by a five-steal, three-block game against the Miami Heat that included a block on Giannis Antetokounmpo and a game-sealing contest on Andrew Wiggins. The Mavericks, who lost the most clutch games in the league last season, have won tight contests against Miami and the previously undefeated Houston Rockets, with Flagg hitting key midrange shots in both.

The Mavericks hold a 7-4 record entering Tuesday, ranking 11th in offensive rating and 10th in defensive rating without a distinct statistical profile. The roster features Flagg and Kyrie Irving, separated by 15 years in age, a permanently injured Dereck Lively II as the third-best player, and several reclamation projects. Dallas lacks a first-round pick in the 2027 draft and owes swap rights in 2029 and 2030. Defector writes that the team’s construction “doesn’t all add up” but coheres because “the game is easier for everyone when he’s on the floor, unless you have to guard him.”