Despite early team struggles, the 18-year-old phenom demonstrates poise, earning respect while navigating elite defensive assignments and his rookie season challenges.
DALLAS — Ten games into his NBA career, Cooper Flagg is learning the hard way that even for the most hyped prospects, the league wastes no time in humbling you.
The Dallas Mavericks have stumbled out of the gate at 3–7, and their 18-year-old No. 1 overall pick has endured his share of growing pains along the way. But amid the turbulence, the early signs have confirmed what scouts promised — Flagg belongs.
Through his first 10 games, the 6-foot-9 forward has averaged 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from the field. The numbers alone may not carry the weight of his draft-night expectations, but the context tells a more revealing story: he’s taking on elite defenders nightly while juggling multiple roles on both ends.
Head coach Jason Kidd has said Flagg is being “guarded by the other team’s No. 1 defender,” a reality that few rookies face this early. With Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis sidelined, that defensive pressure has often shifted directly onto the teenager’s shoulders.
Flagg, for his part, is still taking in the full experience — from battling NBA stars to signing autographs for kids who remind him of himself not long ago.
“I’m 18. I’m not that far removed from being those kids being a fan at an NBA game,” Flagg said. “It’s just about, a win or loss, you have to be competitive, but that can’t take away from giving back to the people who are there to support you. I know what it’s like to be there and how much it can mean even to just stop and say hello.”
That perspective — equal parts humility and self-awareness — has endeared him to fans and teammates alike. It’s also provided a steadiness amid the chaos of a young season that’s seen Dallas juggle lineups and injuries almost nightly.
Flagg’s numbers through 10 games line up respectably among the elite company of past No. 1 overall picks. LeBron James averaged 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds over his first 10 games. Anthony Davis opened with 14.6 and 7.4. Tim Duncan logged 16 and 11.6. Even Victor Wembanyama, the last player to enter the league with similar anticipation, averaged 19.7 and 8.8 — and his team also started 3–7.
It’s a reminder that early statistics rarely capture the full picture of a young star’s arc. Flagg’s impact has often been less about box scores and more about composure — how he reads the floor, defends multiple positions, and accepts responsibility for leading an offense that has been far from stable.
Dallas finally snapped a four-game losing streak with Saturday’s 112–105 win in Washington, fueled by 30 points from Naji Marshall off the bench. That victory ended a frustrating road stretch and set up a critical four-game homestand beginning Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Mavericks’ next challenge will come against Giannis Antetokounmpo, who entered Sunday averaging 33.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 6.6 assists — all MVP-caliber numbers. Milwaukee (6–4) has been one of the league’s top three-point shooting teams at 39.7 percent, aided by offseason addition Myles Turner, who’s hit almost 40 percent from deep.
The Bucks fell Sunday afternoon to Houston, 122–115, with Antetokounmpo scoring 37 points in the loss.
Dallas will once again monitor a crowded injury list: Davis (left calf) and Daniel Gafford (right ankle) are questionable, Dereck Lively II (right knee) is doubtful, and both Kyrie Irving (knee surgery) and Danté Exum (knee) remain sidelined indefinitely.
It’s not the ideal setting for a rookie to thrive — or even breathe — but Flagg’s approach hasn’t wavered. He’s navigating the steepest part of the climb with patience and perspective, the same way he approaches everything else.
For the Mavericks, that might be the biggest win of all this early in the season.