Cooper Flagg is still being treated like a rookie by some of his Dallas Mavericks teammates, but his performance in Macao suggests that label no longer fits. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year played just 45 minutes across two preseason games against the Houston Rockets and scored 33 points with 10 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks.
The Mavericks’ veterans have kept up the joke that Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 pick, is still a trainee until he plays the first game of his second season. During the team’s week in China, that meant menial duties such as carrying bags. “I can sometimes sneak by without them remembering that they want me to be a rookie still. But yeah, they definitely try,” Flagg said.
The idea is ridiculous on its face. Flagg hunted his shot and set up his teammates with the kind of assurance that undermines the notion that he is still a rookie. His voice carried through The Venetian Macao arena, and he is increasingly vocal in the game, moving from focusing on his own play to taking in everyone else’s.
“I’m just finding my voice,” Flagg said. “Being so young and a little bit inexperienced is tough sometimes, but I think up to this point, I’ve earned the respect of my teammates, and I’ve gotten that sense that they really respect me and my opinion.”
Flagg has been on the basketball world’s radar since he was 16, starred at Duke and then won the NBA’s top rookie honour. His growing maturity may be underrated at the moment, partly because the Mavericks, mired in a deep Western Conference, are not commanding much attention.
A week in the spotlight
The NBA has plenty going on. LeBron James is in Philadelphia, Giannis Antetokounmpo is in Miami, and Victor Wembanyama has taken on the unofficial “future face of the league” designation. Wembanyama is also looking for revenge after Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks, the big-market darlings, ended their 52-year title drought.
For a week in Macao for the NBA’s China Games, however, Flagg was the headliner. His image appeared on the side of buildings and at the centre of a major shoe event. Inside one of Macao’s glittering, marble-wrapped malls, he unveiled his personal New Balance logo, which combines his initials with the silhouette of a pine tree, a nod to his home state of Maine.
The trip was as much about the business of basketball and branding as the games. NBA commissioner Adam Silver was in town for meetings with Chinese partners. Flagg’s boss, Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont, hosted the week as chief executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp., which operates five resorts in the area with 10,000 combined hotel rooms, plus the Venetian Arena, a lavish building that feels like a five-star resort with two hoops.
It is easy to lose sight of the basketball, but Flagg’s development is impossible to miss. He is just 19 and will not turn 20 until December 21. Taking into account his more polished jumper, improved footwork and clear leadership on the court, his progress is hard to believe.
“He’s going to lead this franchise into the future. You can definitely bank on that,” teammate Kyrie Irving said. “He deserves a lot of the praise he’s gotten because he’s carried a lot. … He’s wise beyond his years.”
Flagg on display
During a 30-second span on Friday, Flagg manoeuvred through the Rockets’ defence with a slick sideways jump stop to drill a midrange jumper. He then blocked Amen Thompson’s shot, gathered the rebound and led a fast break that ended with a lob dunk.
A few possessions later, Thompson, playing by the book, went under a screen while defending Flagg, who drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with ease.
“He’s such a versatile player, someone that literally can score three levels,” Mavericks first-year coach Dusty May said. “He can make defensive plays on and off the ball.”
Flagg’s rookie season was already remarkable. He became:
- The first rookie to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals since Michael Jordan in 1984-85.
- The fourth rookie since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77 to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. The others were Luka Doncic, Larry Bird and Jordan.
- The first teenager with four 40-point games, the first teenager with consecutive 40-point games, and the first teenager with a 50-point game.
- Sixth in the league on baskets off drives and, per GeniusIQ tracking, fifth most among all frontcourt players in bringing the ball up.
Essentially, Flagg carried the load of a mid-career All-Star rather than that of a rookie on a 26-win team.
“I felt at points last year I was going in blind a little bit,” Flagg said. “Obviously, I hadn’t been through a lot of those experiences before. So, I think just having that this year is a big help. Just feeling prepared, feeling ready. There’s a lot less to worry about.”
Work to do
Flagg shot 29.5% from three-point range last season, a hole in his game that is being addressed. He worked hard over the summer, much of it alongside Irving, who is returning after missing 19 months with a torn left ACL. People around the team speak highly of Flagg’s work ethic and competitive nature.
“Your talent only gets you so far; being remembered for your work ethic and how you treated people and also that championship mindset you came in with every day, that’s what people hold on to,” Irving said.
“For me as a peer, but also as a brother, I look at him as someone that has a world of potential, but also still needs a lot of guidance just like we all do in basketball, a lot of teaching, a lot of knowledge being passed.”
Much of that development will happen under the spotlight. The Mavericks have 21 scheduled national television games this season, and not because they are expected to contend. Irving’s return should help, but the club is still climbing out of the hole left by the Doncic trade and the failure of Anthony Davis’ tenure. That is why there is a new coach and a new front office, led by highly regarded president Masai Ujiri.
Ujiri has made clear that the franchise is committed to keeping Irving alongside Flagg, who is 15 years younger than the star point guard. Rival front offices question whether Dallas can stick to that plan given holes elsewhere on the roster and the two stars being on different career timelines.
Those questions form the backdrop. But Flagg is now on stage, and he gives every sign of being ready. As his teammates watch him every day, they feel it too.
“This is a big responsibility to help him in his evolution to being one of the best,” May said. “A great player’s success is determined by everyone around them. So all of us [being] better teammates, better players, better coaches will contribute to him maximising his potential.”