Dirk Nowitzki believes the Dallas Mavericks are a deep, versatile team with high potential—especially rookie Cooper Flagg—if key players stay healthy next season.
Dirk Nowitzki is a Dallas Mavericks legend who retired in 2019. But even though his playing days are over, the 47-year-old is still keeping an eye on the franchise where he spent 21 years.
Naturally, he shared his thoughts on the Mavs' upcoming season.
"I think they're pretty stacked. To me, it all depends on health," he said at the Foundation Tennis Event. "You know, when is Kyrie [Irving] coming back? Is he gonna be 100% when he comes back? Is AD gonna stay healthy? Dereck Lively missed some action over the last few years.
"But if they stay healthy, I think that's a very deep team," he added. "They have at least two guys per position, they can play multiple ways with Cooper's versatility on the wing. I think there's a lot of lineups you can go with. The front line is stacked, really.
"They should be good defensively with that length they have and athleticism," Dirk went on to say. "To me, it's all about health. If they're healthy, they could be here in the West, and the West is tough, as we know. If they are healthy, it's gonna be a great season for them."
Credit AFP-Scanpix
Nowitzki also spoke about Cooper Flagg, the first overall pick in this year's draft. The Duke star will begin his NBA journey with the Mavericks.
"Yeah, the hype is real, for sure," Nowitzki said. "I'm not the biggest college sports watcher in general, whether that's basketball or elite sport, but of course, I have checked out Cooper. I mean, the sky's the limit, honestly. He leads the game already at that age, only 18. You know, athletic, skills, I heard his work ethic is through the roof.
"So everything that I saw and heard, he's the real deal, and the Mavs are obviously very excited for his growth over the next few years. Just the way he can score the ball in multiple ways, defend multiple players, and I think he's super versatile already at a super young age, which is rare. Looking forward to his rookie year, how he can adjust to the NBA."
Dallas completely shifted their trajectory last February when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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