Cooper Flagg is unlocking something Mavericks fans aren’t ready to talk about

Dallas Mavericks fans have been watching Cooper Flagg put on a show and look like a future All-NBA player over the course of the first two months of his professional career. Some may not want to admit it, but he's resembling what Luka Doncic looked like at the start of his time with the Mavs.

It might feel premature and emotionally charged to make this comparison, but the more you think about it, there's more to it than many may think. Flagg has quickly come to the realization that it's very hard for NBA defenders to stop him driving to the rim. The more he unlocks his driving and finishing, the more he looks like the way number 77 used to in a Mavericks uniform.

Flagg isn't filling Doncic's shoes, but he's recreating one of the most important elements Luka once provided: consistent, unavoidable rim pressure. The early Luka years in Dallas were not about elite shooting efficiency or perfect offensive structure. They were about the simple reality that defenders could not keep him out of the paint.

Flagg is already beginning to tap into that same advantage. Over the last month, he has shown a growing understanding that NBA defenders are simply not equipped to handle his combination of size, strength, and coordination when he attacks downhill with intent.

Cooper Flagg has been unstoppable going to the rim

What separates this from a typical rookie hot streak is how replicable it looks. Flagg isn't surviving on contested jumpers or broken plays. He's beating defenders to spots, finishing through contact, and using both hands around the rim. That skill set travels, especially when scouting reports tighten up a bit. Dallas is seeing a player who can generate offense without needing a perfectly spaced floor or a set play to free him.

From a team-building standpoint, this matters immensely. The Mavs no longer need to center every possession around a heliocentric creator to function late in games. Flagg’s ability to pressure the rim gives Dallas a reliable way to collapse defenses, create second chances, and force rotations. That kind of offensive gravity is rare for a player this early in his career.

Defensively, Flagg’s impact has only strengthened the case. His versatility allows Dallas to stay aggressive on the perimeter without sacrificing interior coverage. His two-way presence is accelerating his timeline far faster than most expected, and changing how opponents approach matchups against the Mavericks.

Nobody in Dallas truly wants to frame this era through the lens of their former superstar. But the reality is that Flagg’s emergence is giving the franchise something it desperately needed: a player who bends the game in his favor. If this trajectory continues, we'll be talking about Flagg as an All-Star player next season, and maybe one of the best in the league not long after.