Dallas Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg went down with a worrying shoulder injury after a fall during a road victory against the Indiana Pacers.
Flagg left the game with left shoulder soreness following an incident with less than a minute remaining in the first half, when Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith fouled him hard on a breakaway dunk attempt.
Flagg fell heavily to the hardwood in visible pain, clutching his left shoulder, and did not return to the game.
The hard foul triggered a massive baseline skirmish between both teams as Mavericks players rushed to Flagg's defense. Officials reviewed the play and assessed Nesmith with a Flagrant 1 foul and a technical foul, while Naji Marshall was also assessed a technical foul.
So far, there is no clear update on the severity of Flagg's injury, though head coach Dusty May revealed that he is in "good spirits" despite the brutal fall.
Injury expert raises concern over possible AC joint issue
While there is no official news, orthopedic physical therapist and injury analyst Maddox McCloud provided his analysis on Flagg's injury.
McCloud believes the main concern is an AC joint injury.
According to him, the recovery timeline will depend on the severity; in a worst-case scenario, Flagg could be sidelined for up to three months if diagnosed with a Grade III AC joint injury.
Possible return timelines based on the grade of a potential AC joint injury, according to McCloud:
• Grade I: 1–2 weeks
• Grade II: 2–6 weeks
• Grade III: 6–12+ weeks
In a best-case scenario, according to McCloud, Flagg's injury could be a simple shoulder contusion, which would mean a much shorter absence.
Doctor of physical therapy Evan Jeffries also expressed concern regarding a potential AC joint injury following the fall in Indiana.
Flagg was shining before injury forced early exit
Before the injury forced him to leave the game, the reigning Rookie of the Year had been impressive with 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in just 17 minutes of action.
In the first game of the season, the 19-year-old star put up 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in 33 minutes of playing time.
The Mavs will head home to Dallas to face the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday before traveling to play the Miami Heat on Monday.
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