Mavericks' neglected need puts Cooper Flagg in a tough spot again

The Dallas Mavericks have neglected their need for more ball-handling and point guard depth by continuing to add wings and frontcourt players this summer. Every player on their roster except for two is 6-foot-5 or taller, and the Mavs have done little to address one of their biggest holes from last season.

Dallas' poor guard play while Kyrie Irving was sidelined is one of the many reasons they won just 26 games last season, and rather than bolstering this position, they haven't added many players who address this issue. As a result, Cooper Flagg is going to be forced to spend time at point guard once again.

Why Cooper Flagg isn't built to be a point guard right now

Looking back at last season, Flagg's time running the show didn't go according to plan. Jason Kidd wanted to challenge the young rookie by making him play point guard to begin the year, and while there were certainly some benefits to this decision, such as his comfort when handling the ball in the open floor and battling through physicality, his skill set wasn't being maximized.

Flagg is at his best when playing next to a high-level playmaker, as he can move off the ball and relocate to find open shots for himself and cut to the paint. At point guard, he doesn't get to do any of this. He was tasked with setting up the offense, playmaking for others, and creating his own shot. Coop is capable of all of these things, but they're not his strong suit just yet.

Flagg should be able to develop into an offensive engine one day as he continues to expand his game, but that doesn't seem like it'll be in the cards as soon as next year. He still needs to improve in several areas of his game, such as 3-point shooting off the catch, before he thinks about trying to be an offensive initiator, but the Mavericks' current roster construction puts him in a predicament once again.

Dallas' situation at point guard isn't ideal

Outside of Irving, Dallas' only other point guards are Marcus Sasser and Sergio De Larrea. Sasser profiles more as a score-first spark plug than a floor general, and De Larrea remains unproven. The Mavericks are playing with fire at point guard if they don't make another move before the season starts, as one injury to Irving could force Flagg back into the position that he struggled in last season.

His offensive game is so much better when he's playing off the ball. MFFLs should get to see him spend plenty of time on the wing alongside Irving or De Larrea, but there are definitely going to be some times when he is playing point guard.

Unless Dallas makes a big trade soon, their point guard rotation will likely be Irving, Flagg, Sasser, and De Larrea. Irving's play will be a massive X factor for how the team performs, but the depth behind him isn't the best. The Mavs trotted out D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Williams, and Ryan Nembhard for most of last season, and this did not yield the results they wanted.

The Mavericks are gambling with Flagg's role

Instead of prioritizing adding another playmaker who can run the offense, they went all-in on having versatile wings on the roster. This has worked for Masai Ujiri in the past, but it's a risky approach for his first year as president of basketball operations in Dallas.

Flagg having to play a role that he wasn't great at for the second season in a row wasn't on many Mavs fans' bingo cards after watching how the team's offense performed for a large chunk of last season, and they should explore adding one more guard to properly balance the roster. They still have time, and it looks like more trades could be on the way, but fans should hope that the front office has a few more moves up their sleeve.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow