Cooper Flagg gave the Dallas Mavericks plenty to be excited about during his rookie season. The No. 1 pick showed he could score, create for teammates, defend multiple positions, and handle the ball in ways that are unusual for a player his age (19). But there is still one area that he needs work on, according to Mavs legend and icon Dirk Nowitzki.

“Well, I think he’s going to raise his shooting percentage from three and from the outside more as he gets a little bit more comfortable,” Nowitzki said. “He’s going to keep stepping into those shots. Sometime during the season last year, he was like in the 20s from three. Obviously, I think everybody expects that to climb every year and get more comfortable from the outside. I think he’s shown pretty much everything else.

Flagg finished the 2025-26 regular season shooting just 29.5% from beyond the arc on 3.5 attempts per game. That was a significant drop from his lone season at Duke, where he knocked down 38.5% of his 3.6 attempts per game.

Speaking on the DLLS Sports podcast, Nowitzki praised the 19-year-old’s all-around ability while identifying his three-point shot as the obvious next step.

“He’s an unbelievable transition,” Nowitzki continued on DLLS Sports. “He’s got good mid-range. He can post. He can run pick-and-rolls now, and J-Kidd obviously put the ball in his hands a lot early in the season and he struggled a little bit with game management and turnovers, and even that got tremendously better as the season got along.”

Flagg, the ROTY (Rookie of the Year) finished the season averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. But the inconsistency from beyond the arc was especially noticeable because Flagg had stretches when his jumper looked much better.

He even delivered one of the most spectacular shooting performances of his rookie campaign against the Orlando Magic. The former Duke star erupted for 51 points and went 6-for-9 from three in that game.

It was a reminder that the outside shot is capable of becoming a major weapon. But the problem was doing it consistently. That’s why Nowitzki remained optimistic.

“The big thing that’s it’s going to have to come is shoot a little bit better from the outside,” Nowitzki continued. “And that’s going to even open up more of the driving lanes and the driving kick and all the passes he can make off the dribble. So, I think that’s of course an easy next progression for him.”

The Mavs star had encouraging signs from the top of the key, where he shot above 40%. That could eventually become important as he develops his pull-up game and gets more comfortable taking threes in transition or trailing the play. Flagg can attack the basket.

The 19-year-old has a reliable mid-range game. He can post up smaller defenders. He can operate in pick-and-roll situations. The Mavs increasingly trusted him with the ball as his rookie season progressed. The former Duke star initially had some issues with turnovers and decision-making while taking on a major ball-handling role.

But those problems became less pronounced as the season continued. In fact, he became the youngest player in NBA history to record 20/5/5 with 0 TOV. His basketball IQ has been praised by legends and former head coaches, and the three-point shooting is easily the next stage of development.

“All-Star’s obviously high expectations,” Nowitzki previously said on the “DLLS Mavs” podcast for an interview with NBA insider Marc Stein. “But I think he’s got that standard for himself, he’s got that work ethic, and I don’t think anybody would be super surprised [if it happens].”

The credible threat from deep will make virtually every other part of his offensive game harder to stop. That’s why Dirk Nowitzki is not ruling out an All-Star appearance for the 19-year-old.