Cooper Flagg's 'maniac' tendency will turn the Mavericks into a nightmare

Iconic NBA analyst Bill Simmons recently called Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg a "maniac" during a podcast episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," and this "psycho" tendency of Flagg's is what will ensure that Dallas doesn't have another down year after missing the playoffs for the second time in three years last season.

It doesn't look like the Mavericks will be close to the lottery again any time soon, and that will largely be due to Flagg and his extreme competitive drive, which can't be taught.

"I don’t see any scenario where Dallas is .500 or under this season," Simmons stated. "They’re gonna be too (expletive) good defensively, and the reason is because Cooper Flagg, who’s an over-competitive psycho...He’s a maniac, and they’re gonna have him with Davis, with Lively, with Gafford, with PJ. Washington. This team is going to be such a (expletive) to try to score against, get offense against, they're going to win 43 games just on defense."

Cooper Flagg's relentless defense will make the Mavericks a tough out

Simmons is all-in on the Flagg hype train, and just as he said, his competitiveness, especially on defense, is what is going to set Dallas apart. The Mavs are set to have one of the scariest defenses in the league next season, and Flagg is going to be at the center of it all.

The Mavericks doubled down on their defensive identity when they traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis at last year's trade deadline, as their defense was already solid and is what ultimately helped them make such a big turnaround at the end of the 2023-24 season, and adding Flagg to this bunch should have the rest of the league shaking in their boots. Dallas is being heavily underrated ahead of next season, but the rest of the league will quickly realize that they are going to be a nightmare to play against.

Dallas already had one of the best back lines in the NBA before drafting Flagg, as Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford are some of the best rim protectors in the Western Conference, and adding Flagg into this mix is going to make life hard on anyone who tries to score inside on the Mavericks. Flagg's help-side defense is incredible, as he seems to always rotate at the perfect time to block a shot into the stands, and anyone who has followed Flagg's career understands that his hunger to get better is what could turn him into an all-time great one day.

"Maniac" or not, Flagg puts in all of the extra work all the time, and this could be seen from the first time that he stepped into the Mavericks practice facility for the first time for his pre-draft workout. Flagg voluntarily worked out in front of a large accumulation of Mavericks staff members ahead of the draft, and he put on a show.

He was already a lock to go first overall to the Mavericks, but he still wanted to show the Mavericks what he could do. Flagg had no obligation to participate in an on-court workout in Dallas, but he did, as he lives to be on the court.

Everything in Flagg's life is centered around basketball, and even though he has some off-court hobbies, such as playing NBA 2K, his main love is the court. Defense has been his calling card for years, and Nico Harrison made this the Mavericks' calling card just over eight months ago.

Harrison has said the phrase "defense wins championships" countless times since trading for Davis, and this philosophy will be put to the test this season. Flagg's endless energy, tenacity, and aggression will turn him into one of the most versatile young defensive wings in the NBA, and Dallas' new 18-year-old "maniac" is going to make them a force in the Western Conference for years to come.