Cooper Flagg has had a stellar rookie season, keeping the Dallas Mavericks afloat in a difficult run in 2025-26, riddled with injuries and trades. Naturally, that has led to comparisons with his predecessors, such as Luka Doncic. However, Flagg’s mother, Kelly Flagg, was not happy with those parallels drawn by users on social media.
While the Mavs front office is trying to figure out the combination, the 2025 top pick has had a Rookie of the Year campaign, averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. However, the purple and gold have suited Doncic better, who is leading the league in scoring and having an MVP-esque season.
When fans made those comparisons on X, Flagg’s mother, Kelly, issued a strong message, urging them not to compare the two players. She wrote:
“Can we stop with the comparisons and just let Cooper be Cooper? He’s striving to be the best version of himself every day. Of course there are facets of his game that may remind you of players who have come before. He’s a student of the game and he’s learning quickly.”
While many might argue that Doncic has achieved a lot in his time in the NBA, Flagg’s potential cannot be doubted. A user agreed with Kelly’s statement on X and wrote:
“I promise, you would enjoy basketball so much more if you didn’t compare players to each other like Luka and Coop or Coop and Wemby. Their contexts are completely different, there is no complete way to compare them. Just enjoy the players in their respective team contexts lol.”
Cooper Flagg even faced criticism when he hit a short rookie wall for a few games this season. However, he has not let that affect his performances. From sweet pull-up jumpers to high-flying dunks, the 19-year-old has almost every weapon in his arsenal. His defense has also not been sloppy by any standard.
Flagg has even silenced the naysayers who doubted his impact on big occasions and against superstar players. He has showcased what he is made of whenever he has played against other young superstars like Victor Wembanyama and Kon Knueppel.
Cooper Flagg has come up big on major occasions
Cooper Flagg unlocked his full potential when he faced his college buddy Kon Knueppel and the Hornets, scoring a career-high 49 points with 10 rebounds and shot 69% from the field. He holds the record of the highest points by a teenager in the NBA.
When Cooper Flagg faced Wemby and the Spurs on February 5, the Mavs rookie stuffed the stat sheet, scoring 32 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks, shooting 40% from deep. However, the team could not registera win on both occasions, and that has led the front office to decide to move pieces and build around him, hoarding assets for the future.
After winning four in a row, the Mavericks have now lost six consecutive games. Even though Naji Marshall, Max Christie, and Daniel Gafford have helped on the offense, the team still needs to sort some things out, starting with bringing a competent facilitator.
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