Mavericks are learning a harsh Cooper Flagg lesson they should've known all along

Through four games of the Dallas Mavericks' regular season, fans have had very little to look positively to besides the emergence of Max Christie off the bench. While many are quick to panic and already bail on this Mavericks season, it's important to know that the NBA season is still very young, and over the last two games, Jason Kidd and the Mavs have been working on things to minimize Dallas' offensive needs.

One of the major problems the Mavericks have encountered, only four games into the regular season, has been their lack of playmaking and ability to put the ball in anyone's hands who can make a serious difference. Not only did the Mavericks encounter this problem when they placed a huge workload on rookie Cooper Flagg's shoulders, but they are also realizing that forcing Flagg to play a certain way may not align with their long-term goals.

It goes without saying, but Flagg is only 18 years old and putting any level of trust in a player only learning how to play the guard position will come with growing pains. Against the Thunder, fans saw Flagg's worst outing as he only totaled two points on 1/9 shooting from the field; however, expecting Flagg to step in on day one and change the outlook of your team's offense was a mistake to begin with.

Cooper Flagg's rise to stardom may not happen overnight

Throughout history, it has already been proven that relying on a young player to take the bulk of your offensive workload and make magic out of it is not a formula for winning games. For LeBron James in his rookie season, he only managed to shoot 43 percent from the field, being the Cleveland Cavaliers' main point of offense, and while the eras may be different over 20 years later, the Mavericks are running into that same problem with Flagg.

Coming into the season, there were a lot of expectations on Flagg and his ability to not only work as the Mavericks' lone ball handler in the starting lineup, but being able to initiate offensive plays on a fly as a young player. This was not only a formula that was going to have growing pains for the Mavericks, but only four games into the regular season, it's clear that the panic meter has risen.

Although Flagg was seen dealing with a shoulder problem against the Thunder, his output was concerning, to say the least. In his first four games with the Mavericks, Flagg has averaged 13 points per game on only 38 percent shooting from the field, but considering the amount of pressure the Mavericks have put on Flagg, fans should not begin to push the alarm bell with the former Duke standout.

With that being said, Flagg has still managed to have bright spots on a team that is desperate for positive attention. Not only has Flagg already proven to have the ability to take games over in short spurts, but his offensive outlook has far exceeded what many thought was going to be an experiment doomed from the start.

By nature, as a rookie, Flagg will have growing pains no matter what position he is put in by the Mavericks, but expecting the team to be carried on offense by an 18-year-old was a philosophy that was doomed before the year even began. The Mavericks have already made strides in an attempt to find their offensive identity, and while Flagg's usage rate may taper over the next few games, Kidd must keep involving him in offensive sets to keep his confidence high.

The Mavericks are walking a fine line that could define the next few years of Mavericks basketball, and it starts with Flagg and his progression. Having expectations that were unrealistic to begin with is not a good way to try and dig yourself out of a pit that was created by the lack of guards on the team's roster.