Does the draft pick of Cooper Flagg make the Dallas Mavericks instant contenders in the NBA’s Western Conference?
After selecting Cooper Flagg with the first pick in the NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks may already be in a position where they can compete. After struggling in his debut, Flagg turned it on in the second game of his summer league career, scoring 31 points against the Spurs. That 31-point performance was the highest by a number one pick since John Wall in 2010. After his two appearances in the summer league, the Mavericks saw what they wanted out of Flagg, shutting him down for the rest of the event.
Shutting Flagg down means that the Mavericks are comfortable with what he can bring to the team this year. Given the state of their current roster, is Flagg enough to make the Dallas Mavericks a contender right away?
How Cooper Flagg Makes the Mavericks a Contender
Offensive Versatility
It was set in stone that Cooper Flagg was going to be the number one pick in the draft since he was at IMG Academy. Much of that revolved around his already NBA-ready offensive skill set. Those offensive chops were magnified at Duke, and Flagg did not disappoint. During his one season as a Blue Devil, Flagg recorded averages of 19.2 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 4.2 assists per game on 48% shooting from the field and 38.5% shooting from three. In a lineup with Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor and Sion James, those numbers prop Flagg up that much more.
While mostly playing the four position, Flagg has displayed an excellent handle of the ball and, with the 4.2 assists per game, can obviously find the open man. This sparks an interesting discussion. With Kyrie Irving likely missing most of the season with a torn ACL, can Flagg run the point when needed? With the signing of D’Angelo Russell, the Mavericks have somewhat of a plan for Irving’s absence. Behind Russell is Dante Exum, who has had his ups and downs in the league, and Brandon Williams, who looked good last year, but has a lot to prove yet. To me, this is one of the weaker lead guard rooms in the league. Given Flagg’s leadership ability, I think he can take the reins at the point guard position when needed.
Dominating Defense
While the offense looks the part for Cooper Flagg, what excites you the most is his defense. While at Duke, Flagg recorded 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. When watching those games, it looked like Flagg was like prime Charles Woodson, intercepting passes and blocking shots after running from across the other side of the court. While it is unlikely that Flagg becomes the best defender in the NBA right away, I expect his defense to translate well to the next level.
In his summer league audition, Flagg did not record those incredible blocks and steals like we saw in college, but he did show a penchant for blocking driving lanes and disrupting passes. Flagg’s seven-foot wingspan and 35.5-inch vertical were on display, as he was able to poke balls out of hands, as well as contest jump shots without fouling. That wingspan and vertical are what really make Flagg a special defender. On the wing, Flagg is going to be able to handle almost anyone in the league and his quickness should allow him to switch on to anyone, from guards to bigs.
Cooper Flagg Makes the Dallas Mavericks a Contender
For whatever my money is worth, like I said on the FlurrySports Podcast, Cooper Flagg is a better prospect than Victor Wembanyama. Maybe Wembanyama has a higher ceiling, but as someone who is NBA-ready immediately, I am not sure that there has been a better prospect since Anthony Davis.
Speaking of Anthony Davis, Flagg and Davis will be a top-six duo in the NBA this season. Using Flagg as a ball handler, the pick and roll/pick and pop between the two is going to be un-guardable. The size alone is just too much for other teams to be able to guard both of them. That size is going to be a huge factor for the Mavericks when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. Even though Klay Thompson is in the twilight of his career, he still has some defensive capabilities on the wing. With Thompson, Flagg, Davis and Dereck Lively the Mavericks will have one of the better defenses in the NBA this season with the opportunity to be number one.
Going back to the thought about Flagg running some point guard, if Dallas uses a lineup with Flagg, P.J. Washington, Davis and Lively, that should create a number of mismatches on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. All in all, even without Irving, the Mavericks still put together one of the better starting lineups in the NBA. With their incredible defense, I believe that they can match up with Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets’ of the world. Are they good enough to beat the Thunder? Maybe not yet, but as it stands, the Mavericks will compete for the two seed in the West this season.
