The Dallas Mavericks are looking for a new head coach to replace Jason Kidd after parting ways with him last month, and one of Mavericks fans' favorite targets may already be off the board before the Mavs even get a chance to really pursue him. Reports of Dallas registering exploratory interest in Duke's Jon Scheyer surfaced last week, but it doesn't sound like Cooper Flagg's former head coach has any interest in leaving one of the top jobs in college basketball right now.
Mavericks' chances to reunite Flagg with his college coach are low
NBA insider Marc Stein reported this on Sunday, and even though he'd get to reunite with Flagg if he took the Mavs' head coach opening, him leaving the Blue Devils already seems like a long shot (subscription required). Dallas' interest may be stuck in the exploratory stage with the up-and-coming coach after less than a week of eyeing him, and their chances of stealing one of the best coaches in college basketball from his current job are looking slim.
"In Scheyer's case, for the record, indications are strong that he's not looking to leave Duke for the pros ... even if it would mean a reunion with Mavericks star Cooper Flagg," Stein reported.
Dallas' pursuit of him was always going to depend on how Scheyer felt about potentially leaving Duke, and this report takes his name off the table for the time being, now that there are rumbles about how he feels about leaving.
The longtime NBA scribe also noted that Scheyer made multiple additions to his coaching staff last week, which could be a sign that he has no intent of leaving his alma mater. The former Blue Devil has a special staff there in Durham, and while the chance to reunite with the best teenage basketball players in the world would be an excellent story, it sounds like he's staying put.
This means that the ideal coach for Flagg to take the next step in his development likely won't be coming to Dallas. The 19-year-old prodigy is going to work relentlessly to become one of the best players in the NBA, regardless of who his head coach is, but bringing Scheyer to Dallas would've been a move that he would've loved.
Why Scheyer was the perfect coach for Flagg
Stealing one of the best young coaches in college hoops would've been an incredible move for the Mavs, and it directly lines up with their plan for the future. They want to start fresh while building around Flagg without skipping any steps, and Scheyer would've been the perfect coach for this.
He could've build upon the foundation he built with Flagg at Duke, and his job would've been to put him in a position to succeed. Scheyer proved that he could do this last year, and Flagg enjoyed playing for him.
He appreciated Scheyer's honesty with him during his freshman season at Duke, and the two built a special relationship during their time together. Scheyer built the perfect game plan around his 6-foot-9 wing, allowing him to attack continuously. This forced the defense to collapse on him inside, and Flagg would then look to spread the ball around to shooters on the perimeter.
Scheyer capitalized on Flagg's versatility, and he would've been able to do the same thing in the NBA. Kidd tried to force Flagg into a point guard role, but what made Flagg so special at Duke is that Scheyer let him be himself. He still insisted Flagg played aggressively, but he wasn't bringing the ball up every time. Sion James and Tyrese Proctor helped shoulder the on-ball load, which helped Flagg settle into the game as a secondary playmaker rather than being the offensive engine.
He also surrounded him with shooters, and defenses had to pick their poison. If they sold out on stopping Flagg drives, he would pick them apart with his passing. If not, Flagg would dominate with his finishing.
Scheyer cracked the code on how to use Flagg, but the Duke coach leaving his current situation seems too good to be true. It was always going to be an uphill battle to poach an elite coach from one of the most historic programs in the country, and this pipe dream may be over before it even begins.
He has already brought the most out of Flagg, and Flagg would've loved playing for him again, but the Mavs need to look elsewhere to find their next captain of the ship.
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