With just a 1.8% chance, the Dallas Mavericks said, “Hold my beer,” and stole the draft lottery spotlight! Coincidence? Maybe. Who knows, the Basketball Gods might have something up their sleeves this time. This could be a chance for Nico Harrison to win back Dallas’ trust after his big move with the Luka Doncic trade. Most importantly, the Mavs now have the perfect opportunity to bag Duke’s prodigy Cooper Flagg, and that seems like an interesting turn of events for Naji Marshall.

In March, LeBron James went on Pat McAfee’s show and suggested the lottery might be rigged, stirring the pot. However, his agent, Rich Paul, said otherwise. Look, a team with less than 5% chance at winning the lottery, getting the No.1 draft seems unreal. But then, in 1993, the Magic did the same with just 1.52 percent. The Cavs with 1.7% in 2014, and the Bulls joined the club in 2008, also at 1.8 percent.

Now, appearing on The Young Man and The Three, the  Mavericks star, Naji Marshall, shared his opinions on his GM’s luck. Talking about the draft lottery, he said, “I turned on ESPN, it was on the top five, I saw us across the board. I looked at my man, I’m like, ‘What?’ It just kept going down. Three, two, one. I started jumping in the air. I couldn’t believe it. Honestly, I’m excited, bro. So excited.”

To be fair, Marshall wasn’t the only one shocked by the results of the lottery. Kyrie Irving dropped a tweet right after the major turn of events. He wrote: “1.8% 🤣🤣.” Pretty cryptic indeed, however, it simply had a hint of surprise amidst the emoji game.

Moreover, the Mavs GM now has a chance to pick Cooper Flagg, who is the consensus top prospect and a generational talent expected to reshape the franchise’s future. Forget the scars Doncic’s trade left behind, it’s time for the next generation star to change the trajectory.

Naji Marshall shares honest feelings on Cooper Flagg after Nico Harrison’s shift in luck

What does Naji think of the 18-year-old guard who has thrown the basketball world into awe? “I mean, I love his game, honestly. For real. He’s a winner,” Marshall confessed. “I love how he hoops. I love the dog he has. You know, I’m a dog, so that’s really what I’m looking for. He’s a dog, too. I’m excited, bro. I’m excited to see him grow, become a star in the league.”

Despite Duke’s NCAA heartbreak, Flagg still delivered an outstanding freshman season, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Furthermore, he dominated on defense, collecting 1.4 steals and rejecting 1.4 shots each outing. In addition, his versatility stood out in every matchup. Not to mention, his basketball IQ was sharper than ever. As a result, he earned national player of the year honors. Ultimately, he emerged as the most secure number 1 pick in recent memory.

Against all odds, the Mavericks rose from 1.8 percent to the top, and just like that, they flipped the script. Now that Cooper Flagg is on the radar and Naji Marshall is all fired up, the energy in Dallas feels completely different. As a result, the doubts surrounding Nico Harrison suddenly seem like yesterday’s headlines. Even history, surprisingly, appears to be on their side. All in all, this might just be the fresh start they’ve been waiting for.