Mavericks finally uncover Cooper Flagg's hidden superstar co-star of the future

The Dallas Mavericks have already found Cooper Flagg's running mate of the future in fellow rookie Ryan Nembhard.

Nembhard had his best performance of the season earlier this week against the Denver Nuggets, as he finished with 28 points, 10 assists, three rebounds, and zero turnovers while shooting 12-14 from the field and 4-5 from downtown. He has now stacked multiple elite games together after his coming-out party against the Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend, and the Mavs truly have something special in him.

Against the Nuggets, Nembhard was knocking down open shots, getting to the rim and finishing with either hand, and drilling mid-range jump shots off the bounce. His patience, efficiency, and poise were all on display, and he put together one of the best point guard performances that we've seen out of a Maverick all season.

Nembhard and Flagg will be the Mavericks' next unstoppable duo

Dallas' point guard play has been relatively weak all season long, with Kyrie Irving sidelined due to an ACL tear and D'Angelo Russell struggling, but Nembhard has taken the starting point guard role and run with it. He has now started in three straight games, and it doesn't seem like this will be changing any time soon.

The way that he leads the offense makes him look like an experienced multi-time all-star guard, and his dynamic game against the Nuggets proved that.

While his scoring was impressive, his playmaking was just as effective. He was picking the defense apart with his perfectly-placed dimes, and he is already showing that he has the ability to make advanced reads out of the pick and roll.

Nembhard has the marks of a future elite NBA floor general written all over him, and he became the first point guard in NBA history to put up at least 25 points and 10 assists with zero turnovers and a 100 percent true shooting percentage against Denver. This game wasn't a fluke, and he and Flagg are poised to be one of the best duos in the West one day if they can keep this up.

Flagg is already looking like one of the best rookie prospects that the league has seen in years, and combine this with Nembhard emerging as an undrafted hidden gem, and the Mavericks are in a great spot.

This may not lead to them going on a deep playoff run just yet, but Dallas may have found their modern-day Luka Doncic-Jalen Brunson young duo. Doncic and Brunson were both drafted in the same year, just like Nembhard and Flagg (even though Nembhard went undrafted), and fans can't wait to see how they fare moving forward.

While Mavericks fans have been high on Nembhard for some time now, no one could've predicted that he'd be this good this early. Especially after he wasn't selected in the draft this past summer.

Despite putting up the fifth-most assists in NCAA history for the Gonzaga Bulldogs last season as a senior, Nembhard went undrafted. The Mavericks signed him to a two-way deal following the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Draft, and the rest was history.

He began his journey in Dallas with a strong performance at NBA Summer League, and now he has been able to show that he has the skills to stick in the NBA and be Flagg's duo partner for years to come. Monday's game was a testament to that, as Flagg and Nembhard combined for over 50 points, and they have the potential to become one of the most dangerous young duos that the Mavericks have ever seen.

The skeleton of a Flagg-Nembhard dynamic duo was evident in Las Vegas, and now they've gotten to show the entire league how great they can be together. They each played a major role in taking down Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, and the world is their oyster as they take on the challenges of their rookie year.

Flagg's defense, athleticism, and tenacity are perfect fits with Nembhard's precision, passing, and IQ, and their chemistry will only rise as they get to play more together. The Mavericks formed their next great duo in the shadows, and they truly found the ideal player to bring the most out of Flagg with Nembhard.