3 Reasons Why Cooper Flagg Alone Doesn’t Fix Mavericks Problems

Cooper Flagg is finally a member of the Dallas Mavericks after the franchise did the obvious and selected him 1st overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. In the Duke standout, they receive a generational talent who has wowed basketball fans with his exploits in high school and college.

He wowed champions as part of Team USA’s squad for the Paris Olympics, and many felt he was already good enough to mix it with the best of the best. The Maine native is still just 18 years old, and possibly has at least a good 15-18 years ahead of him in the league.

The future is secured for the Dallas Mavericks, unless they pull another ‘Luka Doncic‘ and trade him in his prime. They are more concerned about what he brings to the table now. The team comprises Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and a plethora of talent.

Most of them made it to the 2024 NBA Finals. With the addition of Davis, Klay Thompson, and a couple of other pieces, GM Nico Harrison believed they were good enough to win a championship. So did many analysts who felt the team was well-rounded and capable.

Health issues undermined their goal this past season. This season, the Mavericks organization wants to win the NBA title. They know Irving will be out for a while, but that is where Cooper Flagg comes in. Head coach Jason Kidd wants him to play point guard, but he does not solve all their problems alone.

Cooper Flagg as a point guard in the NBA might not be sensible this early

Whenever college players come into the NBA, they take some time to adjust to both the physicality as well as the nuances of playing against experienced players. In the case of elite prospects, the general expectation is that they can learn those nuances early on.

However, it must be noted that every great player to come into the NBA has had to wait a while before reaching their potential. The only anomalies are when those prospects land in favorable situations, which help them grow faster, as well as mask some of their growing pains.

That is what the Dallas Mavericks hope will happen with Cooper Flagg. However, he will be tasked with playing a role that is quite different in the NBA. He will be tasked with manipulating coverages and orchestrating their offense in a league full of high-IQ players.

Countering that with skill and athleticism alone is not sufficient. At the end, he might struggle, and those struggles might wear the team down in their early days. Then, when Kyrie Irving comes back, Flagg will again have to adjust.

Cooper Flagg will need to adjust to Mavs’ needs quickly

The Dallas Mavericks will need Cooper Flagg to quickly adapt to learning to play the point forward position. He did take on the task while at Duke, but in the NBA, it requires a lot of film study, analysing plays, and dissecting them.

Then, when Kyrie Irving comes back from injury, which, as per recovery estimates, should peg him around February next year, Flagg will need to forget playing the point forward role and resume duties as a traditional small forward.

He can continue to play the point forward role if Jason Kidd believes that to be the best way forward. However, they will have to play Klay Thompson and Irving as starters. The former left the Golden State Warriors after losing his starting spot.

He would not want that to repeat, hence he will be starting. On top of that, Irving has built his career on his abilities as a point guard. He comes up with the ball, surveys the floor, and then either goes on a dribbling frenzy to create space or passes it out to another teammate.

If that were to happen, then Flagg would need to learn how to space himself to work around the 33-year-old’s game. All those adjustments have to be learnt quick to avoid becoming a hindrance for the Mavericks.

Cooper Flagg might struggle to adjust to the physicality

Cooper Flagg is listed at 205 lbs on the NBA’s official site. Heft and muscle are only part of the process, as NBA players, particularly the experienced ones, know how to use their strength. That is not common in college.

To adjust to that in two different positions requires time and patience. The Dallas Mavericks have neither of those, as they cannot afford to lose games in a tightly packed Western Conference. Every team will be looking to get better this season.

That will push the 18-year-old to forego his natural developmental curve to assist the team. Come playoff time, opposition teams could take advantage of that lack of development and could punish the Mavericks.

He will be going up against players who are much older, stronger, and intelligent in how they use their bodies. An example would be how Draymond Green, at 6′ 6″ stood his ground against the much younger Aleperen Sengun in the 1st round.

Cooper Flagg is definitely a great addition. But expecting him to contribute and solve the Mavericks’ roster problems in the 2025-26 season is asking too much from the 18-year-old. Maybe they need to alter their expectations and allow him to learn and adjust over time.

Also Read:

• Lakers Fans Rejoice as Rob Pelinka Trades up to Draft Adou Thiero: “Can Officially Send LeBron to Retirement”
• Former NBA Player Calls Out Jeff Teague Switching up on Michael Jordan-LeBron James Debate