NBA just all but guaranteed Cooper Flagg will start Mavericks season with a bang

The entire DFW metroplex is excited for Dallas Mavericks basketball once again after the wildest season in franchise history that saw Luka Doncic get traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, as drafting Cooper Flagg has changed everything for the better and ignited a sense of energy back into the city that was desperate for something to be excited about.

Flagg started his Mavericks journey with a bang at NBA Summer League, as he displayed all of the skills that made him one of the best American-born prospects this league has seen in some time, and his chances of starting his rookie year off strong and pulling away in the Rookie of the Year race early just skyrocketed after every NBA team's full schedule released on Thursday.

Dallas begins the season with a five-game homestand at the American Airlines Center, which is only poised to help Flagg get adjusted to the NBA in front of plenty of No. 32 Mavs jerseys and the home fans that can't wait to cheer for him, but the Mavericks also play two inferior Eastern Conference opponents within their first three games.

Mavericks' early schedule will give Cooper Flagg plenty of momentum

After the season opener against the San Antonio Spurs, which is bound to help the Flagg hype train leave the station if he has a good game against Victor Wembanyama and outduels Dylan Harper, Dallas will play the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. These games are going to be pivotal for Flagg to start his career strong, as both teams will likely be in the lottery again next season, and they're the perfect chance for him to get his feet wet in a low-leverage environment in front of the home fans.

Flagg could become the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year right as the season begins if he has some big games against San Antonio, Washington, and Toronto, as all eyes are going to be on him, and the national media will be breaking down every single thing he does in these games.

The only game out of the first three that is on national TV is the Spurs game, but some highlight slams and filling the stat sheet against Washington and Toronto would be perfect for Flagg. A strong start would change everything for him, and the Mavs' schedule remains relatively light over the next few weeks.

Over the team's first 15 games, 10 of them are at home, and they have several games that should be guaranteed wins. In this opening 15-game stretch, Dallas plays Washington twice, Toronto, New Orleans, Phoenix, and Portland.

They should be able to claw out plenty of wins over this first month of the season, and this is great news for Flagg. All he has to do is beat up on the bad teams, take care of business on national TV, and display all of the skills that the entire world already knows he has, and he should be in prime position to be the third Maverick to win Rookie of the Year after Luka Doncic in 2019 and Jason Kidd in 1995.

Seemingly, everyone is already picking Flagg to win Rookie of the Year long before the season begins, and now that we know what Dallas' schedule looks like, the Mavs' cakewalk to begin the season is only going to help him out. The Mavericks, of course, have some tough games sprinkled into their early-season slate, but if Flagg can put the league on notice right away, the Rookie of the Year trophy could be his when it's all said and done.