The Dallas Mavericks finished with a 39-43 record last season in the NBA and missed the playoffs. Dallas had a slim chance to win the 2025 NBA Draft lottery and they happened to land the number one overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
With that selection, the Mavericks took Cooper Flagg from the Duke Blue Devils. Flagg is going to be the face of this franchise for years to come. He is expected to be in Dallas's starting lineup for the 2025-2026 NBA season. What kind of impact is he going to make during his rookie season?
NBA Insider Believes That Dallas Mavericks Rookie Cooper Flagg Will Make an Impact Right Away
It is very rare for rookies in the NBA to make an immediate impact on their new team from day one. ESPN.com writers Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton listed the Top 14 newcomers for the upcoming 2025-2026 NBA season. They believe that Flagg will make an immediate impact at the NBA level and he is also ranked eighth on this list.
Pelton said about the former Blue Devils player,
"The consensus top prospect in the 2025 draft is in an unusual spot for a No. 1 pick. The Mavericks were in the NBA Finals 15 months ago and played for a spot in the playoffs despite trading away Luka Doncic midseason and suffering a second-half injury cascade. Flagg isn't Doncic and will need time to develop, but his well-rounded game should allow him to contribute to a playoff push immediately as he develops into the next great Dallas star. "
With Kyrie Irving out to begin the start of the 2025-2026 NBA season, the offense will potentially go through Flagg. He is just 18 years old and has a chance to be the rookie of the year. Dallas has a good enough roster to get back to the playoffs and make some noise.
During the 2024-2025 college basketball season with Duke, he played in 37 games. Flagg averaged 19.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 BPG, and 1.4 SPG. He also shot 48.1% from the field. Flagg is going to be talked about a lot during his rookie season by the national media. It will be interesting to see what kind of plans head coach Jason Kidd will have for him during Flagg's rookie season.
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