Cooper Flagg could face the most pressure of any rookie since LeBron James

The Dallas Mavericks and their fans have gone through an absolute rollercoaster ever since Luka Doncic was traded on February 1. Even after getting No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, some fans have still elected to distance themselves from the franchise, citing Nico Harrison and the Dallas front office's complete incompetence as their reasoning for why they can no longer call themselves Mavericks fans.

Flagg's arrival in Dallas is certainly a blessing for Mavericks fans who are staying on the bandwagon, but with so many Mavericks fans having mixed feelings over Flagg coming in so quickly after Doncic was kicked out, it's obvious that many fans who aren't necessarily die-hards or follow the team day-to-day could have a tough time embracing Flagg over Doncic.

Fans following this site and the Mavericks all summer know the absurd two-way potential Flagg possesses as well as how insane a competitor he is, but many Mavericks fans may not be that forgiving of any rookie mistakes Flagg makes, particularly if they are looking for Flagg to be a one-of-one Doncic replacement and Dallas' immediate savior.

Mavericks fans' desperation for a savior could increase pressure on Flagg

If this ends up being the case, Flagg could be facing the most pressure out of any No.1 pick since LeBron James because of the massive stakes involved in regard to casual fans’ desire for Flagg to replicate Doncic’s production.

In many ways, Flagg likely will be the savior for the Mavericks franchise in the coming seasons following the Doncic debacle, but it's extremely unlikely Flagg reaches an All-NBA level in his rookie season and produces at the same scale Doncic does next season, as Flagg is only 18 years old and will have some adjusting to do in the NBA setting next season, regardless of how impactful he is right off the bat.

Many folks in the national media would say Flagg has some of the least pressure out of any No. 1 pick in NBA history because of the fact that he is joining an already talented core that expects to be competitive next season, but this may not be the case at the local level. As aforementioned, plenty of Mavericks fans are still terribly upset over the Doncic trade, and if these fans analyze Flagg's rookie season in comparison to Doncic's impact with the Los Angeles Lakers, they probably aren't going to be happy with the results.

This isn't a fair synopsis of the situation by any means, as Flagg wasn't even part of the Doncic trade whatsoever, but casual fans aren't going to delve deep into the logistics of everything that has transpired for the Mavericks since February 1, and many of them are likely viewing Flagg as Doncic's replacement, especially if they subscribe to the belief that Dallas was promised the No. 1 pick and the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery was rigged.

Anyone who follows the draft or NBA closely knows that it is practically impossible to rig the lottery in today's day in age, but Flagg is going to face criticism and haters from inside Dallas' fanbase that are still bitter over the Doncic trade, and all he can do is put his head down and continue to work, even though he has nothing to do with the trade. If Mavericks fans are truly this bitter next season, Flagg could be facing the most pressure out of any No. 1 pick since James and his rookie year with the Cavs, but hopefully the temperature cools off inside the American Airlines Center soon, as die-hard Mavericks fans want nothing more than for Flagg to have a stellar rookie season and see the team do well.