Cooper Flagg was recognized for his early season success Tuesday when the NBA announced the Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month. Flagg represented the Western Conference, while former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets took home the Eastern Conference award.
The award recognized the rookies’ excellence through the games played in October and November, since the season started in mid-October. Flagg averaged 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game in 20 contests during this time period, including a 35-point performance Nov. 30 to lead Dallas to its 6th win of the season against a reeling Los Angeles Clippers team in Inglewood, California.
48 hours later, Flagg helped lead Dallas to an upset victory over the contending Denver Nuggets with a 24-point, 8-rebound performance to solidify his position as the West’s best rookie during the season’s first six weeks. He’s taken a sizable leap in the last two weeks, averaging 19.6 points on 50% shooting in seven games from Nov. 16 to Nov. 30.
At just 18 years old, Flagg is matching records not seen since LeBron James entered the league over two decades ago. He is the youngest player in NBA history to score 35 points in a game after his performance against the Clippers and he’s the second-youngest to ever score 30 in a game (trailing only James, who needed two overtimes to reach 30 points in a Nov. 2003 contest against the Memphis Grizzlies). Additionally, Flagg is the youngest player to ever record 10 assists in a game.
Flagg seems to improve with each game. In the team’s Monday victory over Denver, he led the offense at times and took advantage of a reeling Denver defense to create good looks for himself and his teammates. Anthony Davis had 32 points and rookie guard Ryan Nembhard had 28 points, and both guys were getting good looks because of the defensive attention Flagg requires when he has the ball.
When the game is in the balance, Flagg elevates his game to another level. His 52 points in ‘clutch games’ — defined as a game within five points with five or less minutes remaining — are fourth in the league, trailing only SGA, Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Maxey. He’s shooting 59.3% in clutch situations, which is the highest amongst the top-10 clutch scorers this season.
He’s getting his reps and he’s producing when his number gets called. The Mavericks may not be winning as much as he was at Duke, but it’s been a remarkable first six weeks for this 18-year old rookie, who will be battling his former Duke teammate Knueppel all year to see who takes home the Rookie of the Year trophy.