Cooper Flagg was the No.1 prospect in America coming out of Duke ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. Everyone knew that the Dallas Mavericks would pick him as the perfect replacement for Luka Doncic. Just 4 months before the draft, the front office sent the Slovenian to LA in exchange for Anthony Davis. Since then, and after Kyrie Irving’s injury, expectations and pressure have increased on the 19-year-old.

During his rookie season, Cooper built strong relationships, including with his head coach, Jason Kidd, who trusted him early with the ball. What was his biggest area of growth? “I just learned a ton about the game. I’ve never been in a situation like that, handling the ball, bringing it up every single time,” Cooper Flagg confessed to Malika Andrews.

“I learned how tiring it can be, and I gained a lot of respect for point guards. Because those first couple of games were probably the most tired I’ve ever been on a basketball court. Just getting picked up 94 feet, getting turned side to side, trying to handle the pressure and get everything organized at the same time, it’s exhausting.”

To say that things have been smooth and easy would be a pathological lie. Even Flagg admitted to Malika Andrews in the recent interview that being the primary guard for the Mavericks hasn’t been easy. Fitting into Luka’s shoes… challenging to say the least. Precisely speaking, Jason Kidd’s idea was to play Cooper in every possible position, guard and forward. And his logic for doing so was to make the rookie uncomfortable. Part of his development? Yes.

“So I learned a lot about the game, and what it takes to run a team, and Coach Kidd was one of the best at doing that, and I’ve learned a lot from him throughout this year,” Cooper added. Now, Luka Doncic has spent 7 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. During his time, he took the team to the Finals in 2024. Although they lost to the Boston Celtics, that run immortalized Doncic before the Mavericks Nation.

Thus, to fit into a role that Doncic once ruled isn’t going to be easy. Because, remember, Luka wanted to be the Dirk Nowitzki for Dallas. Meanwhile, Luka averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 422 games for the Mavericks in his career. On the other hand, Cooper is averaging 20.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 4.5 apg in his rookie season. And who knows, he too might become the ROTY like Luka?

Cooper Flagg’s tough first season

Since the 2017-18 season, the Dallas Mavericks, with a 23-46 run, are having a nightmare of a 2025-26 season. Precisely so, it has been a long season, Cooper Flagg, who has admitted he has never lost this much and clearly does not want that trend to continue.

Dallas’ struggles trace heavily to Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL over a year ago and chose to sit out the rest of the season to fully heal. As a result, the Mavericks lack a steady offensive engine. Therefore, they fail to create consistent scoring, missing a calming presence who can organize plays or generate shots independently. However, he stepped in with some crucial advice for Cooper.

“He stepped in as like a great vet for me and was there giving me guidance because there were definitely times where I was shaken up. I’d never lost that much in my life,” Flagg told Andrews. “But just to hear him say that and tell me that I’m doing everything I need to be doing and just to stay with it and stay positive, it definitely helped me out a lot.”

Pressure found Cooper Flagg early, and it refused to leave. Yet, through losses, noise, and impossible comparisons to Luka Doncic, he kept learning. Meanwhile, guidance from Kyrie Irving and trust from Jason Kidd shaped his edge. So, while the season stung, it quietly built something dangerous.