Mavericks must resist this looming Cooper Flagg temptation at all costs

Cooper Flagg missed his sixth game of the season on Friday night when the Dallas Mavericks took on the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a left midfoot sprain, and Dallas must avoid him missing serious time down the final stretch of the season.

Even though keeping him out of the lineup for longer could be tempting for the Mavericks, given the tanking implications that would come along with him missing more time, it wouldn't be worth it. Development is the Mavericks' No. 1 focus as they finish off the regular season, and Flagg still has plenty of room to grow.

Even though the 19-year-old is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, he still has another level that he can reach. We've seen Flagg's game grow significantly over his 49 games of the season, and he'll only become more dominant as the season goes on.

Cooper Flagg needs to play as much as possible to finish the season

Regardless of the losses that would naturally come with Flagg out of the lineup, it doesn't make sense to take away these valuable rookie minutes for him. He is still getting a feel for what NBA basketball is like, and at the end of the day, he's a competitor. Flagg hates losing, and while Dallas is poised to lose a lot of games down the stretch, he likely at least wants to be on the court as much as he can.

Flagg's absence from Friday night's game was likely precautionary, as he was running in practice earlier that week, and the next few games should give fans a better idea of what the team's real plan for Flagg's return is. He wasn't expected to miss any time after the All-Star break with this injury to begin with, and Mavericks fans definitely want to see him back on the court soon after he missed the Rising Stars game and Dallas' last game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

On top of the development that Flagg needs to continue to morph into the Mavs' future franchise cornerstone, he also has a Rookie of the Year trophy to win. He and his college roommate, Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets, are in an intense race to win Rookie of the Year, and Flagg missing serious time down the home stretch could allow Knueppel to pass him.

The Hornets are on a roll, and Knueppel's rise has helped turn Charlotte into a playoff team. This doesn't mean that he has been as impactful on both ends of the floor as Flagg, but this Rookie of the Year race may be closer than Mavericks fans would like to admit.

A long-term Flagg absence could give Knueppel the momentum he needs to take the lead, and this is the last thing that the Mavericks need. Rookie of the Year is an important and honorable accolade, and Dallas should put Flagg in the best position possible to win it.

A slim shot at a few extra ping pong balls in the draft lottery isn't worth sacrificing Flagg's development or shot at winning Rookie of the Year, and any tank-related shutdowns should star far away from the Mavericks' teenage rookie.