When a quality rookie joins a championship-caliber team, the typical expectations are that he keep his head down, show discipline, and gradually strive to secure a more prominent role.
With Cooper Flagg, however, the narrative seems completely reversed. Matt Barnes is the most recent to add to that notion, stressing that the Dallas Mavericks’ ownership must now prove that they can nurture a rookie who has the potential to become the next face of the league.
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Flagg is a challenge for the Mavs
Dallas already had a roster capable of contending for a title on paper. Even though they replaced injured Kyrie Irving with D’Angelo Russell as their primary ball handler, they had battle-tested, championship-winning veterans in Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson.
If that wasn’t enough, the team also boasts incredible frontcourt depth with PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. This is why Barnes pointed out that Flagg’s arrival almost seems unfair.
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It is unusual for an 18-year-old rookie who has just won the Player of the Year to walk into such a promising situation, but it makes the development even more crucial. In Barnes’ perspective, the Mavs not only need to transform Flagg into the superstar he is expected to be. They aslo have to apese the fanbase still recovering after the loss of their favorite Luka Doncic.
“There are certain things that happen, like when LeBron goes to Cleveland and he’s from Cleveland and Derrick Rose goes to Chicago, with the first pick, he’s from Chicago. There are certain ways that the balls get played with to be favorable for teams,” Barnes started.
Somehow, someway, that was a favor because Dallas wasn’t a bad team; they shouldn’t have been the No. 1 team to get the pick,” he continued. “On the flip side, it’s so important as a young player to go to an organization that’s stable, has veterans, has great leadership. The ownership of the Dallas Mavericks has to show that now, their job is not to f–k it up because they’ve done some questionable things in their short time (after) taking over from Mark Cuban.”
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The Mavs have a lot at stake
As optimistic as the headlines surrounding the Mavs have been leading into the 2025-26 season, the heightened attention has also raised the bar. The expectation now is not merely for Dallas to be competitive but to establish itself as one of the league’s top teams, despite contesting in a stacked Western Conference.
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If the Mavericks stumble, whether because of injuries, chemistry issues, or other setbacks, this season could quickly be written off as a disappointing one-off experiment.
The franchise has already raised ticket prices, signaling to fans that management expects immediate results. Flagg carries the weight of living up to the hype. The Mavericks must prove they deserve the responsibility of developing such a talent — a teenager who has already held his own against All-NBA players during Team USA’s practice sessions.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.