Cooper Flag is advertised as a player of the Dallas Mavericks generation, but to become an MVP you will need to hone certain aspects of the game.
Cooper Flag was easily the best player in the 2025 NBA Draft, and it’s very likely that the Dallas Mavericks have made their way to build a generation.
Without the hype surrounding Victor Wenbanyama two years ago, Flag would become the most highly promoted rookie in recent memory, overtaking Zion Williamson and his new teammate, Anthony Davis.
However, Flagg is only 18 years old and still has a long way to go before he reaches peak. He is expected to be a Mavericks winner, but he should learn a lot before solidifying himself as one of the league’s great players.
In his only season with Duke, Flagg will introduce his talent as an elite two-way player, scoring at their best and locking down multiple positions.
Of course, his 18-year-old’s game is far from perfect. He can score from anywhere at first glance, but Jason Kidd revealed that he hopes Flag will promote the attack along with Dangelo Russell.
In college, Flag recorded two assists per turnover. In the summer league, that number fell to 1.7 assists per sales.
Simply put, that’s not enough for him to become a secondary facilitator.
“It is also worth noting that NBA Summer League sources pointed out some minor flaws in Flag’s game, which points out that they need to iron over the first few years of the league and rise to the level they expect to reach,” explained ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
“Then some factors that go beyond his control come in, including the success of the entire team, the media story, and how Flag’s NBA peers perform.”
Flagg’s passing and ball handling both have a solid foundation, but he has not yet played any real game against legitimate NBA talent. The learning curve and growth pain is expected. Still, the bar is incredibly expensive.
LeBron James entered the NBA at 18 and was a star immediately. Flag is expected to be at roughly the same level, and is an American superstar that the NBA has missed in recent years.
“The Flag has the background as the most promising US No. 1 pick since the all-around game that draws 24-hour attentional consideration from LeBron James and MVP voters,” Wright added.
By passing previous first picks like Davis and Williamson, Flag goes to the same level as James, but expectations are slightly lower. James has four MVP trophies in his name, and Wright’s ESPN colleagues don’t think Flag will get there.
According to the panel, 34.6% of writers believe Flag will not win an MVP. 46.2% believe that one person and 15.4% will win with two people, while 3.8% believe that they will either tie James with four or more people.
Based on the attention Flag got before drafting, anything other than the MVP season at least once during his career is considered a failure, but he has some tough competition.