Stephen A. Smith just validated the Mavericks' bold bet on Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg has been everything that the Dallas Mavericks need, and more, as a 19-year-old rookie, and the rest of the league should be terrified of how dangerous he can become. He's averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting over 48 percent from the field, and he has solidified himself as one of the best rookies that this league has ever seen.

His game is far more advanced than anyone could've imagined following his freshman season at Duke, and ESPN is all-in on him.

On a recent episode of First Take, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, one of the most famous analysts of the modern age, had extremely high praise for Flagg, and Mavericks fans should be ecstatic for the future with him as the franchise cornerstone. This is just the beginning for him, and the sky is truly the limit.

ESPN says Cooper Flagg is the Mavericks' cornerstone

"Cooper (Flagg) does it all. I mean, he's the total package. ... [The Mavericks] know they have the future face of their franchise, and they are building around him because he is worth it," Smith said.

Dallas showed that they fully trust Flagg as their new superstar by trading Anthony Davis at the trade deadline earlier this month, as the team is now entirely built around him and Kyrie Irving. They made the hard decision to shut down Irving for the rest of the season this week, and now Flagg has the chance to spread his wings and back up all of the hype behind him even more.

A team fully building around a rookie isn't common in today's NBA, but that's how good Cooper Flagg is.

As Smith stated, Flagg is everything you could want in a player. He defends at an elite level, plays harder than anyone, finishes around the bucket like a seasoned veteran, and is an A+ teammate, and this isn't normal for a teenager. It didn't take long for the Mavericks to fully commit to him as their new star, and that's exactly why they were extremely strategic at the trade deadline.

The Anthony Davis trade was about much more than bringing in five draft picks, as they shed Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, and Jaden Hardy's contracts. Dallas wanted future financial flexibility to build a contender around Flagg, and the Mavericks are operating with him in mind with every decision they make. They know how valuable he is, and that's why they're already trying to put themselves in a position to build a contender around him.

Dallas wouldn't have traded Davis if they didn't think Flagg has real potential to be a No. 1 for them in the future, and plainly, he already is a No. 1. Flagg takes his game to the next level when the lights are brightest, and if he keeps this up, the Rookie of the Year award will be his for the taking.