Cooper Flagg is making early critics regret every word they said about him

Cooper Flagg is only 19 years old, and he’s already on a generational run. Despite Anthony Davis' departure and Kyrie Irving’s prolonged absence, he’s actually exceeding expectations. At a time when many rookies are ready to hit the rookie wall, he’s somehow getting stronger game by game. However, early in the season, basketball pundits were critical of Flagg's development and skeptical of his true ceiling as a superstar in the NBA.

I think it's safe to say that those critics are now waving the white flag to Flagg.

Flagg is averaging 27.3 points per game in February, along with 6.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks. Dallas, we have liftoff. He’s also shooting 49.2 percent from the field, a blistering 50 percent from downtown, and 93 percent from the charity stripe. If he keeps this up, every game he plays from here on out will be history in the making.

Cooper Flagg is making all of his critics eat their words

Flagg's 49-point eruption against the Charlotte Hornets on January 29 was a clear message. He understands it now. Flagg understands what is required of him and what it takes to go from good to great. He realizes that not all players have his motor on both ends or his competitive spirit. You can’t teach that. These are intangibles that are just in you.

On the court, he’s too big for guards to match up with him, and he’s too fast for other forwards on the perimeter.

He’s getting downhill at will, and that has opened up his jump shot, which seems to be improving game by game. And his left-hand floaters and finishes at the rim are fast becoming a trademark part of his arsenal. He’s also starting to master a unique push floater shot in the paint that seems to befuddle anyone guarding him. His game is growing, and that is scary hours for the competition.

NBA superstar Kevin Durant sees a lot of himself in Flagg. Durant only played one year of college, just like Flagg. And he also faced the great expectations of being an impact player for his team amongst a league of grown men, despite being a teenager. But he’s seeing Flagg’s rapid ascension in the Western Conference in real time.

“He’s figured it out. He understands that he’s tough to stop,” Durant said after witnessing Flagg torch his Houston Rockets squad for 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists in a close 111-107 loss for the Mavericks on January 31.

It’s not even the All-Star break yet, and the consensus on Flagg has gone from him having an underwhelming rookie season to him being even better than advertised. But there will always be doubters. And former NBA player Jamal Mashburn even went so far as to announce on a TNT Sports broadcast that he hypothetically viewed Flagg as just the sixth-best player if he were part of the upcoming NBA Draft.

Come again? Are we talking about the same Cooper Flagg who became the youngest player in NBA history to score 49 points in a game? And has followed that up with multiple 30-point games while grabbing double-digit rebounds and playing elite defense?

Welcome to the society of instant gratification that constantly asks, “What have you done for me lately?” Well, lately, Flagg has done a lot. He’s averaging 33 points per game in his last five games and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. He’s getting better, and the league is on high alert.

Flagg is quickly becoming one of those ones. A player that can’t be stopped when he’s on his A-game. Many rookies start to taper off at this point in the season due to the number of games and travel that the NBA 82-game schedule requires. Different cities. Different time zones. It’s one of the toughest adjustments college players have to make. The sheer amount of games in such a short time span can be physically taxing.

The rookie wall is real. But Flagg has broken the wall down and built his game up with grit, determination, and a love for the competition. But what separates him is his poise. His peers have taken notice.

Coaches and GMs alike are coming to the realization that Flagg is better than advertised. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse pointed out Flagg’s ability to "regather his composure” when things aren’t going his way during games. “His greatest strength is his competitiveness,” said a West GM.  

Flagg came in with some of the most hype that we’ve seen for a rookie in years. This is a guy who reclassified from the 2025 high school class to the 2024 graduating class just so that he could reach the NBA a year earlier and play better competition. He referenced his mother as his inspiration to do so because she had once told him, “If you’re the best player in the gym, then you need to find a new gym.” Mothers know best, right?