After months of chaotic within the Dallas Mavericks organization, the team has peace with Cooper Flag. It was easy to pick him on the overall pick of the No. 1, but former owner Mark Cuban hopes everyone will ease their expectations.
The Cooper Flag is one of the brightest outlooks in recent years. The Dallas Mavericks were lucky to win the lottery and score the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Currently, Flag is entering the league with a strong Mavericks team. That means he performs under pressure.
Former Maverick majority owner, Mark Cuban hopes everyone is calm and patient. After Flagg’s mediocre NBA Summer League debut, the No. 1 overall pick remained calm. Cuba gave slow progress from the early days of Kobe Bryant’s career, implying that he would protect the flag.
There are high expectations for Flagg as some people compare him to Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan. It’s going to be hard to protect it, but he has supporters both inside and outside the Mavericks organization.
It can be difficult to live up to high expectations, especially for prospects like Flagg. After the hype surrounding Victor Wembanyama, the NBA community had another name they were looking forward to. With Flag, you have a player with great potential as a defender and a great offensive skill set.
Playing for a team like the Mavericks is challenging for expectations. They have two legitimate stars, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Fans are hoping to see the Mavericks compete in the playoffs again after the 2024 NBA Finals run.
At the same time, they also want evidence for the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Donsic. He is Dallas’ beloved figure, and Flag is his spiritual alternative. Not only does Flag need to serve as a top prospect, it also has to live up to Doncic’s legacy.
“We need to think about Kobe (Bryant) Ark. It took time to get it right. I don’t want to curse him because Kobe isn’t the same. But Kobe didn’t come right away as a sophisticated player.
With all the possibilities from around the world, Flagg could potentially become one of the best players in the NBA. He received quite a lot of hype given it being a consensus #1 pick. Flagg has all the tools to become the best ever in his defense and growth offensive game.
It would be difficult to manage the three top players Davis, Irving and now Flag. Coach Jason Kidd has a budding super team and needs to lead him to victory.
With all the Mavs talents it is difficult for them to lose the game. Don Chic’s trade was stabbed, but it netted them a shot to get Davis and Flag. Thankfully, Flagg falls on his lap and they are ready to prove everyone wrong again.