Cooper Flagg is a bright spot for the Dallas Mavericks amid a difficult season for the franchise.
With Flagg’s rookie season coming to a close, the Mavericks currently hold a disappointing 23-45 record. The team is well outside of postseason contention, despite landing a superstar talent with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Dallas lost 15 of its first 20 games to open up the 2025-26 NBA season. Over a span of games in late January to late February, the team lost 10 consecutive matchups.
This season has been difficult for Flagg, who lost just four total games during his National Player of the Year campaign with the Duke Blue Devils in 2024-25.
Flagg credited injured Mavericks veteran Kyrie Irving for helping him through this rough patch during a recent sit-down interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
"He stepped in as like a great vet for me and was there giving me guidance because there were definitely times where I was shaken up. I’d never lost that much in my life,” Flagg said of Irving’s influence. “But just to hear him say that and tell me that I’m doing everything I need to be doing and just to stay with it and stay positive, it definitely helped me out a lot."
Flagg is averaging 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game through his rookie season thus far. He’s currently locked in a tight NBA Rookie of the Year race with his former Duke teammate, Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel.
Flagg and the Mavericks have won two of their last three games, including a 130-120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
Dallas will tipoff against the New Orleans Pelicans at 8 p.m. ET.
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