SAN ANTONIO — The burden of a typical No. 1 overall pick wasn’t supposed to fall onto the shoulders of Cooper Flagg.
Seven-game losing streaks. Leading his team in nearly every statistical category. Being the primary target of every opposing team’s scouting report, thus drawing the best perimeter defender on a nightly basis.
This is far from what Flagg thought he would experience during his rookie season with the Mavericks, who were positioned to surround their teenage sensation with a trio of future Hall of Famers for support — on and off the court.
However, plans change every day, especially in the NBA.
Mavericks
The Mavericks made the unified decision to officially hand Flagg the keys to the franchise by trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, turning the page on their previous vision to expedite a transition that was inevitably anticipated once when the ping pong balls miraculously bounced into Dallas’ favor last spring.
The front office’s sudden decision gives Flagg confidence, but it’s still business as usual.
“Honestly, it doesn’t really change much,” Flagg said. “I’m just gonna go out there every night and try to be consistent and try to be the best version of myself. Whatever that looks like, whoever is out there with me, I hope we just compete at a very high level.”
Related
The Mavericks are 19-33 after Saturday’s 138-125 loss to San Antonio, which marked seven straight losses. It was their third defeat by more than 10 points. The Mavericks have been competitive this season despite being severely undermanned. They still lead the NBA in clutch games with 34 and they only have a points differential of -3.0.
Perhaps the Mavericks would be in a position to compete for the playoffs had Davis stayed healthy enough to shoulder the load alongside Flagg until Kyrie Irving — who remains without a definitive timeline — was ready to return from ACL surgery. That was the original plan.
Instead, the pressure of being one of the best players on a losing team is a reality for Flagg.
“It’s been different than what I expected,” Flagg said. “Just doing the best I can. It was tough at first. Obviously, that much losing. … It still is. I’m a competitor, but I think for me, it’s about learning from the losses as much as I can and trying to take positives away.”
Despite the tough losses, there are certainly plenty of reasons for the Mavericks to consider the beauty in their struggles.
Flagg is a rising star, figuratively and literally. He’s earned a trip to next week’s All-Star Weekend to compete in the annual showcase of the league’s top young talent.
Despite his off night on Saturday, Flagg has been sensational with averages of 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals. Before his 14-point performance in San Antonio, he produced a historic streak of four straight games with at least 30 points.
“Cooper’s had an incredible start to his NBA career and he’s learning to play the game at a high level and has accepted all the challenges,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.
Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi made it abundantly clear why they chose to end the one-year experiment with Davis during their first press conference since they were elevated to co-interim general managers.
“He’s such a special individual at just 19 years old,” Riccardi said. “He carries himself at a mature age. Everything he does is just natural to him. He is genuinely that person and we’re lucky to have him and grateful that we get to build a roster around him.”
Dallas has the 10th most difficult remaining schedule, with their next three games against playoff contenders, including the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers before they head into the All-Star break.
At the current rate the Mavericks are headed, they’ll get the opportunity to return to the lottery to find another young running mate to pair with Flagg in what’s being touted as a strong pool of draft prospects.
They own three draft picks for the 2026 draft, including two first-rounders and a second-round pick. That’s three opportunities to either find a few talented players to complement his skillset.
“We have an unbelievable player in Cooper Flagg so it’s our job to put the right pieces around him,” Finley said. “When you have that draft capital, it gives yourself the ability to put proper pieces around him.”
The passing of the torch happened earlier than expected, but Flagg appears up to the challenge to make sure the flame doesn’t dim anytime soon.
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.