Cooper Flagg returned to the Dallas Mavericks’ lineup on Thursday night after missing eight games due to a sprained left midfoot. The player scored 18 points and dished out six assists in the 115-114 loss against the Orlando Magic. Flagg made a three-point play with 37.3 seconds remaining, giving Dallas a four-point lead, but Orlando scored the last five points. He finished with 7 of 22 shots in 26 minutes and added five rebounds and four blocks, including three in the final quarter after receiving some hard fouls.
The Mavericks haven’t ruled out Flagg playing in both games of the back-to-back, with the second game in Boston on Friday night. Flagg has said he was a Celtics fan while growing up in Newport, Maine. Flagg injured his foot in the February 10 loss against the Phoenix Suns, forcing the No. 1 pick to miss the Rising Stars game during All-Star weekend. At 19 years old, Flagg has averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 49 games. The only other rookies to average at least 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists since the ABA-NBA merger are Luka Doncic, Michael Jordan, and Larry Bird. Coop is going to be a superstar in this league. It’s been a pleasure being his teammate, and I’ll be excited to tell future generations that I got to play with him in his rookie season. However, Flagg has been surpassed by his former Duke roommate, Kon Knueppel, as the betting favorite for Rookie of the Year. Knueppel has played a significant role in the Charlotte Hornets’ mid-season surge, averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while breaking the rookie record for three-pointers made with a 43.6% success rate from long distance.Obviously, the hardest part is not playing. I love to compete, I love to play basketball, so having it taken away for a while is tough. But it’s a good way for me to learn and gain perspective, to observe from a different angle. I think I learned a lot in the last few weeks, but I was definitely ready to get back out there and compete.
Cooper Flagg
