Kyrie Irving's slept-on specialty will make Cooper Flagg's life so much easier

Despite typically being known as one of the best ball handlers and finishers in recent memory, Kyrie Irving doesn't get nearly enough credit for his success as a 3-point shooter. He has knocked down 1876 3-pointers during his NBA career, which is the 12th-most of any active player and 26th-most in NBA history.

Irving is quietly one of the best shooters of this era, but he doesn't get the credit he deserves for being such an elite marksman. He is dangerous from long range off the catch and when creating his own shot, and the degree of difficulty of many of his shots is high.

As Irving makes his return to the hardwood for the Dallas Mavericks after missing all of last season with a torn ACL, his shooting is going to be a huge help for a team that was one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league last season. Not only will it help the team, but it will specifically help Cooper Flagg.

Cooper Flagg's 3-point shooting was his biggest weakness as a rookie

Flagg had an incredible rookie year last season. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field, and there wasn't much that he couldn't do.

The former Duke Blue Devil excelled at getting to the rim, providing versatile defense, and making the right decision on both ends of the floor, but his 3-point shooting was a major weakness. He shot 29.5 percent from beyond the arc, and this is an area that he is working hard to improve upon this summer.

Flagg's shooting should not be considered a long-term concern just yet, as Dallas' lack of depth around him could have been a major reason for his struggles. Defenses were able to focus on slowing down Flagg with Irving out of the lineup, causing him to often face the other team's best defender. This is not an easy task for a teenage rookie, but things will be different for Flagg next season thanks to Irving returning to the floor.

How Kyrie Irving will make Flagg's life easier

Irving is fully healthy ahead of the 2026-27 season, and while his on-ball gravity will naturally help Flagg get more open looks from long range, it's going to make all parts of Flagg's game easier. Defenses will be forced to focus on slowing down Irving, allowing Flagg to get more involved in the offense.

Flagg will no longer have to carry the entire load of the offense, and he'll be able to thrive more off the ball. He's an excellent off-ball cutter and mover without the ball in his hands, and Irving will be able to create better looks for him.

Irving's gravity and long-range shooting will also help open up the lane for Flagg to drive more. Even though Flagg was a phenomenal finisher as a rookie, Irving's return is going to help him get even better in this area. Defenders will naturally not be able to help off Irving as much, meaning that one less help defender will be lurking to attempt to cut off Flagg's drives.

All aspects of Flagg's game are going to become easier due to Irving's success as a 3-point shooter, and this duo is in a position to help the Mavericks bounce back after dropping 56 games last season.

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