Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg is on the verge of making his long-awaited debut, and the No. 1 pick received praise from fellow Dukie Paolo Banchero ahead of the season.
Flagg is viewed as a generational prospect, with tremendous hype surrounding his arrival in Dallas. He is projected to start and could have the potential to have a productive season because of his size, athleticism and ability to impact games on both ends of the court.
Banchero knows firsthand the expectations that come with being the top pick from such a prestigious program as Duke. He saw him in August at the Pro Devils Weekend in Durham and is there to offer advice, but the former Rookie of the Year believes Flagg is doing just fine in his journey.
We had conversations and got in the gym, but it was more just talking to him as a person, rather than me trying to give him advice. I think he is handling it the way he knows how to do, and he is going to learn from his experiences. Our situations, I would say, aren’t the same, so as much as I would try to give him advice, I think it is best if you let him figure it out; that is kind of what guys did for me. Now, if he came to me and asked questions, I was always there to answer it and give my side of it, but just letting him kind of figure it out.
Flagg enters the 2025-26 season as the front-runner to win Rookie of the Year, ahead of Tre Johnson (plus-800) and VJ Edgecombe (plus-900). He has his sights set on the award and is confident he’ll be in the mix if he can be himself and play his game.
The 18-year-old is already turning heads in training camp, earning approval from the likes of Klay Thompson, coach Jason Kidd and others. He has had a seemingly smooth transition to practice and is eager for their preseason opener on Monday.
Flagg landed in a good situation with the Mavericks, surrounded by a strong support system. The team will be pushing him to maximize his development, and Banchero, like most, believes this season will be the start of a long career in the NBA.
“Cooper is a hell of a player,” Banchero said. “He is a special player. He has gotten himself to where he is at doing what he knows what to do. I don’t think there is much advice I can really give him. … He is a great player and I think he is going to be great in the league.”