Mavericks' unexpected Cooper Flagg rollercoaster delivers beautiful silver lining

“Flag on the play” might have to be remixed as a more positive phrase if Cooper Flagg has anything to do with it. But first, he has to learn to ride the rollercoaster known as the NBA season with the savvy of a seasoned pro. The Dallas Mavericks’ regular-season and postseason fortunes depend on it. Flagg is getting a double dose of that reality in real-time.

The 18-year-old phenom arrived in Dallas with fanfare and expectations not seen by any rookie before him. The ghosts of Dirk Nowitzki whisper from the rafters, and the residue of Luka Doncic’s untimely departure still haunts the Dallas faithful. Young Cooper is expected to put his “Flagg” in the sand and be the star of his own band.

He’s walking a tight rope in this NBA season's 3-ring circus. And he’s Dallas’ main attraction. 

The bar for Cooper Flagg is higher than his rookie counterparts

Let's see what he’s here to perform?

Master the point guard position on the fly while being coached by one of the greatest point guards ever in Jason Kidd? That’s not nerve-wracking. Be a Swiss Army Knife on defense? No problem. Spread the floor and become a knockdown 3-point shooter like Klay Thompson in his prime? No worries. Oh, and let us not forget preserving the Mavericks’ championship window, while Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving are still in their prime. No pressure, right?

Most rookies have the luxury of acclimating to the rigors of the NBA’s 82-game regular season and the physical demands of the dreaded back-to-back game nights. The travel. The physicality. The complex defensive schemes. The mental Russian Roulette of having an all-defense type player in your face all night. 

Plus, Flagg doesn’t have the luxury of his lottery pick counterparts to sit back and let his teammates steer the ship. He’s the conductor. The Spurs are bringing Dylan Harper off the bench so he can learn the point guard position from De’Aaron Fox. And the ultra-athletic V.J. Edgcombe has an all-star caliber Tyrese Maxey handling the point guard duties. Kon Kneuppel is a gifted shooter who gets to be spoon-fed by the highly talented LaMelo Ball. Must be nice.

Flagg has shown maturity beyond his years. And he was thrown right into the fire on NBA opening night when he came face-to-face with the NBA’s first extraterrestrial by the name of Victor Wembanyama. Wemby hit up the Mavericks for 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks while shutting down the paint and driving lanes that Flagg has been accustomed to attacking at will. Flagg ruefully admitted postgame that Wemby was “something I’ve never seen before.” 

Despite scoring just 10 points in his first NBA game, Flagg still showed flashes of brilliance and a high basketball IQ by not forcing things and displaying a versatile floor game, while pulling down 10 rebounds. But…. then there were the 3 turnovers and no assists. So, a bit of an uneven start. 

Flagg followed that first game by recording five more turnovers the next game versus Washington, but he was more aggressive on offense and scored 18 points while shooting 40 percent from downtown. The Mavs need Flagg’s shooting stroke more than ever, since Klay Thompson has been abysmal from beyond the arc. 

Flag spearheaded Dallas’ first win of the season against Toronto with a dazzling assortment of lob passes, dunks, up and unders, and spin moves.  More importantly, he recorded four assists with zero turnovers. The full scope of his talents was on display in HD.

Then reality hit the very next game. OKC came to town and gave Dallas a taste of championship basketball.  Flagg injured his shoulder on one of the first plays of the game. He shot 1 of 9 from the field and got dunked on by Chet Holmgren.

It appears that Flagg is earning the respect of his teammates, and early indications suggest they are willing to trust his decision-making on the floor. Flagg’s even temperament means that he will take each learning experience in stride and make his adjustments quickly. This bodes well for Coach Jason Kidd and the rest of the Mavericks.