Dirk Nowitzki Speaks Out On Dusty May Hire And Cooper Flagg Needs

DALLAS - Dirk Nowitzki knows what a coach can do for a young player's trajectory because once upon a time, the late Don Nelson took a raw 20-year-old from Germany and built an offense around him at a time when nobody was quite sure what to make of him.

When Nowitzki was asked whether Dusty May's college background might benefit Cooper Flagg, he offered a useful perspective.

Speaking with D Magazine's Brian Dameris, the Mavericks radio analyst, ahead of his annual charity tennis tournament, Nowitzki said he expects the pairing to work.

"I think so. I think it's going to be great," Nowitzki said. "I don't know Dusty well, as I don't watch much college, but I've heard nothing but great things about him being a workaholic who is in the gym all day. His style of leadership is very approachable, and all players like him."

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That last detail is worth considering. Approachability matters more for a 19-year-old than it does for a veteran roster, and May spent his career developing players who arrived on campus unfinished. Flagg did not play for him, but he did play in the same college environment just one year ago. That experience shortens the distance between coach and player considerably.

Nowitzki also identified the most interesting tactical question facing the team.

"It's going to be interesting to see what style of play he wants to establish and how he uses Kyrie with Cooper," he said. "It's going to be fun to watch early how they're playing."

That is the puzzle Dallas has to solve. Irving returns from a torn ACL as a player who has spent his career with the ball in his hands, while Flagg spent his rookie season carrying an enormous creation burden by necessity. Making both players work together requires a specific structure, and nobody knows yet what May intends to build.

Nowitzki does have a theory about how that structure could benefit Flagg.

"Mentality-wise, I think it's going to be great for Cooper," he said. "He had an incredible rookie season and will build off of that. He's going to get the ball even more in his hands, and he can play off the ball when Kyrie runs the show. I'm expecting a great second season."

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The flexibility Nowitzki describes is exactly what a young star needs. Flagg spent last season without an alternative, running the offense whether the situation called for it or not. This year, he can initiate when the matchup favors him and work off the ball when Irving takes over. That gives him a chance to develop both skills rather than defaulting to one.

Nowitzki would know better than most. Nelson was his first coach in the league, and under Nelson's guidance, Nowitzki developed into his own kind of player rather than being forced into a mold that did not fit. Flagg now has a coach with a chance to do something similar.