Cooper Flagg has all of the expectations put onto him before ever playing a game. Those expectations may be unrealistic.
The Dallas Mavericks surprisingly landed the first overall pick in June's NBA Draft. In a stunning move, they traded away Luka Doncic and received Cooper Flagg as his replacement. The Mavericks couldn’t contain their excitement, prematurely revealing their intention to draft the Duke standout.
“DLLS Mavericks reporter Kevin Gray posted on X a screenshot from Mavs' official website that displayed Flagg in Dallas' white home jersey – part of a premature ‘Welcome to Dallas’ graphic that was quickly removed from the team's site,” Yahoo Sports’ Jeremy Beren wrote.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Lonzo Ball believes Flagg may be miscast in the Mavericks’ lineup, noting that he won’t be playing his natural position.
“In today’s NBA, I would play him at the four. [Cooper at the three] it would depend. It’s all a matchup. Like whoever they are playing against. Because if I play him at the three and then I got Gafford or Lively in, with Davis too, like we better get every rebound. And defense. Like, hit the glass hard. But then if I want to play small ball, I’ll push him to the four. Put AD at the five,” Ball said.
USA Today’s Lorenzo Reyes suggested that for the Mavericks to thrive during the season, Flagg needed to struggle in Summer League.
Meanwhile, The Smoking Cuban’s Tyler Watts argued that Dallas is placing too much pressure on Flagg too early.
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“The Dallas Mavericks are asking too much from Cooper Flagg. Fans should temper expectations for his rookie season. Flagg is a generational prospect and will be a standout for years to come, but year one will feature struggles as he adjusts to the NBA and being a primary creator. The Mavs have nobody to blame but themselves,” Watts wrote.
Flagg enters the season under an intense spotlight, with some already calling him the future face of the league—before he’s even played a game. There’s no doubt that Flagg will likely be in a league of his own someday, but expecting that in year one may be a bit premature.
Category: General Sports
