Fresh Cooper Flagg duo gives Mavericks perfect glimpse into championship future

Dallas Mavericks fans are looking into their crystal ball, and they like what they see. It's just a matter of time before Cooper Flagg takes that next step to NBA greatness. And it’s only a matter of time before Flagg and Kyrie Irving make their debut next season as the NBA’s newest dynamic duo. The new Batman and Robin. Or maybe it will be more like Batman and Superman?

Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving already have a blueprint to follow

Based on how point guard Ryan Nembhard allowed Flagg to flourish off the ball early in the season, it’s safe to say that adding a former NBA champion and current basketball wizard like Kyrie Irving to the mix will only push Flagg and the Mavericks’ ceiling even higher. Irving and Flagg together on the basketball court will be Nembhard and Flagg on steroids. They will be a top box office attraction. Get your tickets.

Coach Jason Kidd experimented with playing the teenage Flagg at point guard early in the season, and understandably, he struggled offensively, averaging just 15.6 points on 44 percent shooting from the field between October and November.

But when Nembhard took the point guard reins in late November, the positive impact on Flagg’s game was almost immediate. Flagg became a free man and had the best month of his young career by averaging 23.5 points per game on 51.6 percent shooting in December. Nembhard posted his own respectable numbers that month by averaging 9.2 points and 6.8 assists per game on 48 percent shooting from the field and a scorching 41.7 percent from downtown.

The young duo even recorded two wins over NBA title contenders the Denver Nuggets and an impressive win over the Houston Rockets that same month. Showing that with the right formula and pieces in place, the Mavs can play with the best of the West. A healthy Kyrie makes that even more possible, and Mavs fans can’t wait to see it.

Irving brings an added dimension that will catapult Flagg and the Mavs

But with great power comes great responsibility — and even greater expectations. The undrafted Ryan Nemhard capitalized on the failed D’Angelo Russell experiment to prove he belongs in the NBA and that he is a very capable floor general. But his diminutive stature makes him more suited to coming off the bench. However, Irving brings a polished game and on-court experience that Nembhard will take years to develop.

Irving isn’t much bigger than Nemhard physically, but his unique offensive capabilities put a different type of pressure on opposing teams that negates any shortcomings he may have as a player. The risk is worth the reward.

A healthy Irving gives Dallas a completely different dimension with his ball handling and big-time shot-making. Irving’s gravity on the court will draw multiple defenders and allow Flagg to have more open forays to the basket and more opportunities to use his length and quickness to beat his opponents downhill one-on-one.

Flagg and Irving will be able play off of each other in a myriad of ways

Opposing teams will have nightmares game planning for Flagg and Irving because they will have to pick their poison. Flagg is already developing a clutch gene and has shown that he’s not afraid to take and make the big shot. Well, Irving has been there and done that on the grandest of stages. What better person to learn that from than Irving?

Learning to pick your spots. How to get off tough shots on the best defenders. How to pass the ball and then relocate to the ball. Knowing when to roll to the basket versus fading out to the perimeter on the pick and roll. Irving became adept at doing these things in his previous partnerships with NBA greats like Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and former Maverick maestro Luka Doncic.

The sacred art of the two-man game. Jordan and Pippen. Kobe and Shaq. Mavs fans are hoping Flagg and Irving can develop this type of singularity in how they play with each other. Irving’s experience playing with former superstar teammates will be the key. He’s become the league’s foremost expert at being able to play off of a superstar while still knowing when to get his points and keeping the defenses guessing.

This is why Dallas won't trade Irving. Mavs’ fans can’t wait to see it. And it’s time to get this show on the road.