Windhorst: Why Cooper Flagg’s rise is beginning to feel unavoidable

MACAO, China — Cooper Flagg scored 33 points with 10 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks in just 45 minutes across two preseason games in Macao, and he is already playing like a player who no longer belongs in the rookie category. A few Dallas Mavericks veterans have kept up a running joke that Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 pick, still wears a “trainee” name tag until he plays the first game of his second season.

That joke played out in small ways during the team’s week in China, where the Mavericks faced the Houston Rockets. Flagg, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, handled menial duties like carrying bags. “I can sometimes sneak by without them remembering that they want me to be a rookie still. But yeah, they definitely try,” Flagg said.

The teasing is ridiculous on its face. Flagg’s production in Macao showed a player who hunts his shot and sets up teammates with real confidence. His voice carried through The Venetian Macao, and he stays vocally involved in the game. He is moving quickly from worrying about his own game to directing everyone else’s.

“I’m just finding my voice,” Flagg said. “Being so young and a little bit inexperienced is tough sometimes, but I think up to this point, I’ve earned the respect of my teammates, and I’ve gotten that sense that they really respect me and my opinion.”

A Maturity That Goes Beyond the Box Score

Flagg has been on the basketball world’s radar since he was 16. He starred at Duke and then won the NBA’s top rookie honor. Even so, his growing maturity may be underrated right now. The Mavericks, stuck in a deep Western Conference, are not exactly commanding attention around the league.

Everything about Flagg, however, feels inevitable. The NBA has plenty of other storylines. LeBron James is in Philadelphia. Giannis Antetokounmpo is in Miami. Victor Wembanyama has claimed the unofficial “future face of the league” designation and wants revenge after Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks, the big-market darlings, ended their 52-year title drought.

For one week in Macao, though, Flagg was the headliner. His image covered buildings and anchored a major shoe event. Inside one of Macao’s glittering, marble-wrapped malls, he unveiled his personal New Balance logo, which combines his initials with the silhouette of a pine tree, a nod to his home state of Maine.

Business and Basketball

The trip centered as much on business as on games. NBA commissioner Adam Silver attended meetings with Chinese partners while in town. Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont, who serves as CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., hosted the week. His company operates five resorts in the area with 10,000 combined hotel rooms, along with the Venetian Arena, a lavish building that feels like a five-star resort with two hoops.

It is easy to lose focus on the games, but Flagg’s development stands out. He is just 19 and will not turn 20 until Dec. 21. Given his polished jumper, improved footwork and clear leadership on the court, that youth is hard to believe.

“He’s going to lead this franchise into the future. You can definitely bank on that,” teammate Kyrie Irving said. “He deserves a lot of the praise he’s gotten because he’s carried a lot. … He’s wise beyond his years.”

Highlights From a Single Half-Minute

On Friday, Flagg showed that range in a 30-second stretch. He maneuvered through the Rockets’ defense with a slick sideways jump stop to drill a midrange jumper. He then blocked Amen Thompson’s shot, grabbed the rebound and led a fast break that ended with a lob dunk.

A few possessions later, Thompson, playing by the book, went under a screen while defending Flagg. Flagg answered with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, made with ease.

“He’s such a versatile player, someone that literally can score three levels,” Mavericks first-year coach Dusty May said. “He can make defensive plays on and off the ball.”

What Flagg Accomplished Last Season

Flagg’s rookie year already set a high bar:

• He became the first rookie to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals since Michael Jordan in 1984-85.
• He became the fourth rookie since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77 to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. The others were Luka Doncic, Larry Bird and Jordan.
• He became the first teenager with four 40-point games, the first teenager with consecutive 40-point games and the first teenager with a 50-point game.
• He ranked sixth in the league on baskets off drives and, per GeniusIQ tracking, brought the ball up fifth most among all frontcourt players.

Basically, Flagg carried the load of a mid-career All-Star, not that of a rookie on a 26-win team.

“I felt at points last year I was going in blind a little bit,” Flagg said. “Obviously, I hadn’t been through a lot of those experiences before. So, I think just having that this year is a big help. Just feeling prepared, feeling ready. There’s a lot less to worry about.”

Work on the Weak Spots

Flagg shot 29.5% from 3-point range last season, and that gap is being addressed. He worked hard over the summer, much of it alongside Irving, who is returning after missing 19 months with a torn left ACL. People around the team praise Flagg’s work ethic and competitive nature.

“Your talent only gets you so far; being remembered for your work ethic and how you treated people and also that championship mindset you came in with every day, that’s what people hold on to,” Irving said.

“For me as a peer, but also as a brother, I look at him as someone that has a world of potential, but also still needs a lot of guidance just like we all do in basketball, a lot of teaching, a lot of knowledge being passed.”

A Long Road Back for Dallas

Much of Flagg’s development will happen under the spotlight. The Mavericks have 21 scheduled national television games this season, and not because they are expected to contend. Irving’s return should help, but Dallas is still climbing out of the hole created by the Doncic trade and the failure of Anthony Davis’ tenure. That is why the team has a new coach and a new front office, led by highly regarded president Masai Ujiri.

Ujiri has made clear that the franchise is committed to keeping Irving with Flagg, who is 15 years younger than the veteran point guard. Rival front offices question whether Dallas can stick to that plan with holes elsewhere on the roster and two stars on different career timelines.

That backdrop is real. Still, Flagg is now on stage, and he looks ready. As the Mavericks watch him every day, the rest of the team feels it too.

“This is a big responsibility to help him in his evolution to being one of the best,” May said. “A great player’s success is determined by everyone around them. So all of us [being] better teammates, better players, better coaches will contribute to him maximizing his potential.”