The Dallas Mavericks' fortune changed for the better when they won the NBA's Draft Lottery on May 12 to not only secure their future with Cooper Flagg but also ensure that they could push for a championship in the coming years. While Flagg is just a rookie, he still possesses the tools to be great this coming season even despite the lack of ball handlers on the Mavs' roster.
Flagg is undoubtedly a better player when he plays off the ball and allows himself to get open through offensive actions away from the ball; however, his first season with the Mavericks will be one where his skills are tested with the ball in his hands. Since the Las Vegas Summer League, the Mavericks have already sent a clear message to Flagg and the league that they fully expect the 18-year-old to not only take plenty of reps at handling the ball, but that they could expect him to run their offense entirely at times.
Although this might seem like a recipe for disaster for a team wanting to make a return to the playoffs and make a loud splash in the postseason, the Mavericks appear to be fully prepared for the growing pains of having a rookie run their offense.
Dallas' refusal to add another creator puts all the trust in Cooper Flagg
Entering the offseason, one of Dallas' biggest needs was an additional creator to help run their offense while Kyrie Irving remains sidelined. With this in mind, the Mavericks signed D'Angelo Russell on a very team-friendly contract, but failed to sign anyone else who was capable of taking a serious workload off the shoulders of Russell.
There's no doubt that the Mavericks were fully prepared to give Flagg the full reins of the offensive side of the ball, considering he and Russell are some of the only Mavericks worthy of a starting position who can be trusted with the ball in their hands; however, after not acquiring another offensive initiator, the Mavericks appear to be fully on board with the idea of Flagg running the starting unit.
Off the bench, the Mavericks have Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard, and while both players are ready to play a huge role this coming season, there is no guaranteed spot in Jason Kidd's rotation for these two emerging guards.
With this in mind, Flagg better be prepared to handle the rock even more than fans already think he is capable of. Not only is Dallas' failure of not acquire another creator a nod to Flagg and his skills with the ball in his hands, but it's a promising message that Nico Harrison is fully prepared to make Flagg the face of the franchise.
Expecting a rookie to carry your offensive workload will have its growing pains, and in fact, one of Flagg's biggest critiques from the Summer League was his lack of a handle when the defensive pressure proved to be too much; however, only giving the former Duke superstar more in-game reps will make him better.
The Mavericks similarly played this game with Luka Doncic during his rookie season, but the only difference was, Doncic was built to have the ball in his hands from a young age, and he had already been classified as a guard despite his height. While Flagg no doubt possesses the skills to be a great offensive initiator, the Mavericks are taking a huge step in potentially stunting Flagg's growth if things go south quickly.
Assuming things do get off to a rocky start, this could not only force the Mavericks to make an early trade for a ball handler if they do believe they can win now, but they also could run into the possibility of Flagg's confidence hitting a low point.
There is no evidence to suggest that this will happen, but Dallas had better make sure they know all of the options on the table. Flagg will, without a doubt, prove to be a great player, and the Mavericks' experiment with giving him the keys to the offense could become one of the greatest moments throughout Flagg's career.