Cooper Flagg, the ‘flag’ of the future of the Mavericks

The rookie from Dallas enjoys playing in the NBA without the pressure of all the labels placed on him and shows glimpses of the bright future he has in the league.

When he is not on the court, Cooper Flagg usually sits next to Klay Thompson, the four-time NBA champion, along with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, one of the current leaders of the Dallas Mavericks; He watches the game, encourages his teammates, and listens to coach Jason Kidd’s comments.

In a roster like the Mavs full of talent and figures like Klay, AD, Kyrie and the newcomer D’Angelo Russell, for now the rookie usually goes unnoticed on the bench, he doesn’t make any fuss, he doesn’t complain, he supports without showing off. He knows that his role for now is more about learning and developing his game so that then, yes, he can be the next big star of the Texan franchise, perhaps the next Dirk Nowitzki?

“Just enjoy your rookie season, your rookie year happens once, so I’ve only told him to play and enjoy his rookie year because it goes by very quickly and there is nothing like your first year,” that is one of the great pieces of advice, surely many, that Klay Thompson has given the Duke graduate and that he shared during his last visit to CDMX for the game against the Detroit Pistons.

The Mavericks’ game is one with Cooper on the floor and another without him. In the absence of the injured Kyrie, DLO takes control of the actions and commands the court. Entering its 14th season, Russell has the credentials to be the leading voice; Thus, the Mavs’ pace is slow, lateral and with the outside shot as a resource, but when Cooper Flagg enters, things change.

If coach Kidd leaves him in his original forward position, Cooper opts to open himself to the wings and from there attack the rim, his 2.06 m height gives him the confidence to face whoever is in front of him. He prefers that to the free throw, since his 33.3% effectiveness from the arc is one of the aspects to improve.

However, if Kidd gives him the responsibility of setting up the game, the Mavs opt in and make quick transitions. Cooper, tall, light and with his great ball control, crosses the court in a few strides, concludes the plays with or without a foul, and if it is with a foul, be careful, he boasts 100% effectiveness in free throws.

At 18 years old, his game and his mentality seem like those of an experienced basketball player, who has won everything, speaks fluently without fancy phrases, aware that his career in the NBA is just beginning, that he has a lot of work to do and things to improve, but that the future of the Mavericks belongs to him.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, you have to keep going, keep going, think big; what matters is working hard, dedicating yourself to the right things. You sacrifice a lot of things, but if that sacrifice makes you play better, it doesn’t matter,” he said after his first experience as an NBA player outside the United States.

And although the start of Dallas’ 2025-26 season has not been what was expected (2-5 until Tuesday’s games), one thing is certain, sooner rather than later the rookie will catapult the Mavericks to the top positions in the Western Conference and the future of the franchise looks solid based on its new banner, Cooper Flagg.