Cooper Flagg Names Toughest NBA Matchup Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As he prepares to debut with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Summer League, Cooper Flagg carries high expectations as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
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Coming off a dream freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils in which he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game and led the team to the Final Four, Flagg is set to elevate the Mavericks’ level from the get-go.
Flagg will share touches with Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson when the regular season begins in October before Kyrie Irving returns to action to try to help the Mavericks compete for the championship. He’s well aware that his team has a solid roster but also knows the competition won’t be easy at all.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.Brad Penner-Imagn Images
During a pre-draft chat with The Athletic, Flagg revealed what he thought would be his toughest matchup in the association. While most players, such as his former teammate Kon Knueppel (who picked Giannis Antetokounmpo) and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper (Irving), named other players, Flagg named an entire team, going with the reigning NBA champions.
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“You know, I’ll say just the Thunder in general,” Flagg said. “They’re young, they got a lot of good pieces, so that’s going to be a tough team to beat.”
The Thunder just beat the inspired Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals. Although they needed seven games to do so, they entered the series as favorites to win it all. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso and Co. went the distance until they finally beat the overachieving Pacers.
After a busy offseason, the challenges will be numerous for the defending champs and for Flagg. The 82-game regular season is a grind, but it could be a memorable rookie season for the former Duke standout.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.