Cooper Flagg's 51-point explosion reveals why he must erase his biggest weakness

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg just became the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in a game against the Orlando Magic last night, as he finished with 51 points on 19-30 shooting from the field. The rookie from Duke couldn't be stopped in this game, and his overall dominance exposed the exact area that he must improve upon this summer — 3-point shooting.

Flagg shot 6-9 from beyond the arc in this game, marking a career-high for 3-pointers made in a game. He was drilling tough shots off the dribble and catch, and his confidence was through the roof.

But this hasn't always been the case.

Cooper Flagg just proved why he his shooting must improve

Flagg has often hesitated to shoot open threes this season, but Friday night's masterclass showed exactly why he needs to continue to grow in this area.

The rookie phenom's shooting has been a major hole in his game this year, as he's shooting 29.3 percent from downtown on 3.5 attempts per game. He hadn't made more than two 3-pointers in a game since January 29, and he ended this cold streak in style against the Magic.

Four of his six threes came during the fourth quarter, and Mavericks fans at the American Airlines Center witnessed how deadly he can be when his jumper is falling. Everyone already knows that he's one of the best young finishers in the NBA, and the next step is becoming a consistent shooter.

Having a balanced offensive game is extremely important for star players, and it's what separates good players from great players. Being able to score at all three levels is one of the most coveted skills in basketball, and Flagg did this on Friday night.

This is easily the most comfortable he's ever looked as a shooter off the dribble this year, as five of his six makes from long range came off the bounce. His relentless ability to get to the rim and knock down mid-range shots set the table for his fourth-quarter explosion, and he truly went nuclear in those final 12 minutes.

How shooting will unlock Flagg's full potential

Flagg finished with 24 points on 8-12 shooting from the field and 4-6 shooting from 3-point range in the fourth, showing that he is the definition of unstoppable when his jumper is going in. Orlando had no answer for him, as he was rising up over defenders and draining shots right over them.

Defenses are forced to stay honest when players can score at all three levels, and Flagg turning into a reliable shooter will help him in every other area of his offensive game.

Players will be forced to close out hard on him once he becomes an efficient shooter, and this will allow him to attack these closeouts and get to his mid-range pull-up or get to the paint and finish with a floater, dunk, or layup.

Flagg's rookie season has just been the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the player he'll become, and if he becomes a dangerous shooter, his game won't have a ceiling.