Cooper Flagg hasn't had an entirely spotless start to his NBA career.
But the Dallas Mavericks' No. 1 overall pick has had a lot of moments that prove he's going to be an absolute star in this league.
The latest came Saturday night.
Taking on the Los Angeles Clippers, Flagg put up 35 points in a 114-110 win. He shot 13-for-22 from the floor and 9-for-11 from the foul line.
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Flagg added eight rebounds and two assists in the victory, playing a team-high 38 minutes.
In the process, Flagg became the second player in NBA history to score 30 or more points in a game before turning 19, according to the league's official social media channels. The first? LeBron James.
Flagg will turn 19 on Dec. 21.
That was one of the most underrated parts of Flagg heading into June's NBA Draft. He was the consensus No. 1 pick regardless, but he was also the youngest player in his entire draft class, and the second-youngest No. 1 pick ever, behind just James, whose birthday is a week-and-a-half after Flagg's at the end of December.
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Flagg is averaging 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game so far as a rookie. The Mavs have continued to figure out how to use him properly as the season has gone along.
There will still be growing pains, as there are for any young player.
But the reality is that Flagg seems to have grown in wisdom and experience each time he takes the floor, one game to the next. Combined with his immense ability, that's a combination that could cause a lot of problems for opponents.
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