One year after trading Luka Dončić, the Dallas Mavericks are finding hope in rookie Cooper Flagg's breakout games. Flagg scored 49 points against the Charlotte Hornets and followed with 34 points and 12 rebounds versus the Houston Rockets. Coach Jason Kidd lashed out at critics during a postgame rant, defending his decision to play Flagg at point guard early in the season.
The Dallas Mavericks suffered a 111-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, but all attention was on rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick from Duke. The 19-year-old exploded for 34 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists, becoming the first teenager since Luka Dončić to post a 30/10/5 line. Just two days earlier, Flagg dropped a career-high 49 points on 20-of-29 shooting in a 123-121 defeat to the Charlotte Hornets, marking the most points by a teenager in NBA history and his second 40-point game as a teen—joining only LeBron James and Anthony Edwards in that elite company.
Flagg also notched back-to-back 30-point double-doubles, a feat no other teenager has achieved. His season averages stand at 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 48.4% field goal shooting. However, Flagg's start was rocky, particularly during his first seven games as the primary ball-handler while Kyrie Irving recovers from an ACL injury. In those outings, he averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 turnovers at 38.8% shooting.
Reflecting on the pressure in November, Flagg told ESPN, "I think it's a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility that comes with being a point guard, and I don't know if I was ready for that or if I was ready to handle that right off the bat... It wasn't perfect, but I think I learned a lot through that."
Postgame, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd faced questions about early criticism for deploying Flagg at point guard. Unfazed, Kidd unleashed an expletive-filled defense: "I don't give a f--- about the criticism. Criticism? That's your opinion. You guys write that bulls---... I've played this game. I've played it at a very high level. I know what the f--- I'm doing... But I don't give a f--- what you guys write. Because you guys have never played the game. And so I build players."
This surge comes exactly one year after Dallas traded Dončić, a five-time first-team All-NBA selection who led them to the NBA Finals, to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick. The move drew heavy backlash, leading to the firing of general manager Nico Harrison. Flagg's draft luck—Dallas had just a 1.8% chance at the top pick—has provided a silver lining. Despite four straight losses and lingering issues like Irving's absence and Davis's uncertain status, the Mavericks, currently outside the play-in tournament, see brighter prospects with Flagg leading the way. They face the Boston Celtics next on Tuesday.
