The Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Coming into his rookie season, expectations from Flagg were sky high. The Duke alum is one of the most highly rated prospects in recent memory, but he’s walked into a tough situation.
Due to extremely wild circumstances, Flagg walked into a Mavericks team that was supposed to be a title contender. However, injuries to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis have led to a poor start. The 18-year-old has been expected to play point guard, and it’s led to a really slow start and criticism from fans.
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Flagg is shooting just 37.3 percent from the field, and he had a game where he recorded just two points in 31 minutes. But for all that, it seems the youngster isn’t too worried about himself.
Cooper Flagg on those concerned about his play through 6 games:
“It’s a tough league. It’s a transition. I haven’t made a lot of shots or been as efficient I would’ve wanted to, but I’m gonna keep trusting the work. It’s nothing I think they should be worried about. I’m not… pic.twitter.com/aMQicbYt5t
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) November 2, 2025
“It’s a tough league,” Flagg said. “It’s a transition. Obviously, I haven’t made a lot of shots or been as efficient as I would’ve wanted to, but I’m gonna just keep trusting the work. It’s nothing, I think, they should be worried about. I’m not worried about anything.
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“Just gotta keep getting better looks. Keep being aggressive and just trust all the work. And I think it’ll be fine.”
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg moves past Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Flagg is averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game to start the season. Those numbers will likely only improve. His talent is obvious, but his situation is less than ideal at the moment. The superstar rookie needs help from his head coach, Jason Kidd, and his veteran teammates.
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