Cooper Flagg Ends His Rookie Season Due to Injury
Cooper Flagg’s rookie season came to a premature end due to a sprain in his left ankle.
Flagg, who was the favorite for the Rookie of the Year award, suffered the injury at the beginning of the second quarter of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls, which ended with a 149-128 victory for the Mavericks.
The incident occurred when Flagg attempted to score after an offensive rebound, falling awkwardly between two Bulls defenders. After limping around the court, the Mavericks committed a foul to allow Flagg to leave the game, with 10:11 remaining in the first half.
Minutes later, it was confirmed that Flagg would not return to the game.
Flagg capped off his rookie season with averages of 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 70 games. He led Dallas in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals, finishing just five blocks behind teammate Daniel Gafford.
The Rookie of the Year voting is expected to be close between Flagg and his former Duke roommate, Kon Knueppel, who averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for the Charlotte Hornets. Knueppel broke the rookie record with 273 three-pointers, leading the league in this category.
