Over the course of a month in the regular season, Dallas Mavericks players Cooper Flagg and Brandon Williams have quietly been forming a duo that the team has longed for. From the start of the offseason, the Mavericks knew that they needed to acquire depth at guard with Kyrie Irving out with a torn ACL, and more pressure was put on Flagg and Williams to handle the ball.
While the two have had their growing pains since entering the league, they have looked phenomenal when on the floor together. Flagg and Williams have only played 301 minutes together this season, but in their time sharing the hardwood, Dallas has an offensive rating of 113.4 (points per 100 possessions). This is a considerable jump from the 98.4 offensive rating that the Mavericks post when Flagg is on the floor without Williams.
It may still be very early in Flagg's professional career, but the Mavericks have quickly found that with a player like Williams, who can handle the rock and make the defense react to his moves, Flagg's on-court success has reached all-time highs. Despite the noise surrounding the Mavericks following the firing of Nico Harrison, Dallas' on-court product has looked better than ever, and it starts with the Flagg-Williams duo.
Flagg and Williams' on-court duo has given the Mavericks new life
To begin the season, the Mavericks have not had many things fall their way when it comes to their on-court product. While there have been plenty of distractions with the Harrison firing and recent Anthony Davis trade rumors, Flagg and Williams have quietly been building a strong resume.
In just his rookie season, Flagg has strung together an impressive resume after scoring a rookie-leading mark of 35 points in a single game in a win over the LA Clippers. Not only has Flagg been excellent, but Williams has truly established himself as a potential building block in Dallas' future after shining in a reserve role.
On the season, Flagg is averaging 16.7 points per game on 46.2 percent from shooting from the field, which is why he has gained the attention of so many fans over the past few games. With Williams, those numbers only rise.
It's easy to say that both players have had impressive individual seasons, but when they share the floor, they are truly maximizing their on-court product. It may not be easy for rookies to find players with whom they gel fresh into their professional careers, but Flagg and Williams have managed to form a bond that the Mavericks can't tamper with.
"Having that relationship with him, building that chemistry, playing that two-man game near the end of the game has been really good for us, so I’m glad we built that relationship," Flagg said about Williams earlier this month. "Just two young guys who have really competitive spirits. We both want to win a lot and I think that can be seen out there."
With all of the trade buzz surrounding Dallas' future direction with Flagg at the helm, the Mavericks must avoid trading players like Williams or anyone else who has proven to form a good on-court connection with the 18-year-old. It's important to get the most value for players in this opportunity, but trading the right players should be priority No. 1 for the Mavericks.
It's still early in the regular season, which is why the Mavericks may want to hold off on pulling the trigger on multiple franchise-altering trades, but the on-court product for the Mavericks has only risen since a shaky start.