Cooper Flagg blesses Mavericks with Luka Doncic deja vu when Dallas needed it most

The Dallas Mavericks fell short yet again on Wednesday night following the firing of GM Nico Harrison, as the Mavericks had a spirited effort versus a red-hot Phoenix Suns (7-5) team, losing 123-114.

While the Mavericks finally had some juice offensively with their outside shooting, their perimeter defense struggled mightily, and 19 turnovers plagued Dallas' chances at getting back in the game. Cooper Flagg had another excellent game as he continues to scale up following an up-and-down start to his rookie season, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks.

As much of a sore reminder as Luka Doncic's departure from Dallas is, especially given how this situation is back in the spotlight following Harrison's departure, it still can't be denied that Flagg's ascension so far has given Mavericks fans similar vibes to how Doncic's ascension went in his rookie year, as this is more of a compliment toward Flagg than anything, especially given the cards he's been dealt.

Cooper Flagg's early trajectory mirrors Luka Doncic's rookie rise

Don't get it twisted, Flagg and Doncic are entirely different players, and Doncic certainly was shouldering more of a workload from a shot creation perspective in his rookie season, especially since his dribble-drive game and off-dribble 3-point creation were leaps and bounds ahead of where Flagg is at in those areas right now, but Flagg is also productive in areas Doncic never was.

This isn't a means to continually rehash the Doncic trade, but Flagg exhibiting some of the same traits as Doncic did in terms of how relentlessly competitive he is, as well as how he has an uncanny ability to cease the moment, are excellent qualities Mavericks fans can relate to, despite how unfortunate it is that Doncic is gone.

Mavericks fans will never forget Doncic's rookie takeover moments, like his 11 straight fourth-quarter points against the Houston Rockets in December, and while not as spectacular, these moments are starting to come for Flagg as well. He is already finding a way to take control of the game in short spurts, and the Doncic resemblance is there from a mindset and dominance standpoint.

Both players want to win as badly as they want to breathe, as well, and that's something that you can't teach.

Flagg impacts the game in a different sense compared to Doncic, as aforementioned, though, their total impact in their respective rookie seasons through their first 12 games is taking a somewhat similar trajectory, even if Doncic struggled more with turnovers and defense, whereas Flagg has struggled more with ball handling and outside shooting.

While Flagg falls in line with the funny trend of the Mavericks now having (potentially) three caucasian players to be the stewards of their franchise in consecutive fashion, he exhibits an entirely different playstyle compared to Doncic, just as Doncic did to Dirk Nowitzki. Flagg may be the most athletic player on Dallas' roster, barring maybe Brandon Williams, and Flagg is already improving as a finisher with each game, and had his best line from outside (3-7) in Dallas' loss to the Suns.

The Mavericks and their fans have a ton to be excited for when it comes to Flagg, and while the immediate direction of the franchise is clearly up in the air, the Mavericks will have something to build around for a long time.

Flagg is already showing signs of being a superstar two-way wing one day, as his flashes are starting to turn more consistent from an offensive perspective. He's also playing much better as a team defender despite struggling a little bit in that area early on, and it's only been 12 games.

Buckle up, Mavericks fans. The Cooper Flagg show is just getting started.