Cooper Flagg Defended by Mavs Coach amid Inconsistent Start to Historic Rookie Season

Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg bounced back from a tough start to the season the lead the team to a 139-129 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, and those around him feel the youngster simply needs time.

Flagg had his best performance of his young career, dropping 22 points, four rebounds and four assists in the Mavs' first win of the season. During Monday's episode of The Hoop Collective, ESPN's Tim MacMahon explained that Dallas doesn't mind being patient as he works through his inconsistencies because it's not expecting him to be a franchise savior right away.

"I was talking to a Mavs assistant, and they basically said, 'Hey, if Cooper ends up averaging like 14, seven and six, and making plays defensively like he does, then that's gonna be a really, really good rookie season for a kid who doesn't turn 19 until [December 21],'" MacMahon said around the 26:40 mark. "The fact that he's already a solid starter in the NBA at this age is remarkable."

Raptors-Mavericks Full Highlights

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Flagg shot below 50 percent and had a combined eight turnovers in Dallas' first two losses of the season, but he showed flashes of the incredible skills that made him the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. On Sunday, he shot 8-of-14 from the field and didn't turn the ball over once. It was noted on The Hoop Collective by ESPN's Tim Bontemps that Flagg now "joins Kobe Bryant as the only players to have 20 points and no turnovers in a game before turning 19 since turnovers became a stat in the '77-'78 season."

Flagg's first 20-point performance put him in some elite company, as MacMahon reported that at 18 years and 309 days old, he's now the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to score 20 points in a game behind only Jermaine O'Neal, Bryant, Tracy McGrady and LeBron James. He punctuated his performance with a huge one-handed slam that ignited the home crowd at the American Airlines Center.

"The fans have showed up for the first three games, and I thought tonight was really the first time we gave 'em something to be excited for and be on their feet for," Flagg said after the win.

Flagg and the Mavs will face another tough test when they take on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0) on Monday night.