TL;DR
- Cooper Flagg faces Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
- Flagg views the highly anticipated game as just another contest.
- Doncic is having an MVP season with the third-seeded Lakers.
- The Mavericks previously traded Doncic, who is now excelling in Los Angeles.
The NBA world will be laser-focused on one particular matchup on Friday.
As Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks get set to host Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers, this early-season contest is undoubtedly the one everyone will be watching.
Ahead of what's arguably this year's most eagerly awaited matchup to date, Flagg conveyed a self-assured eight-word message to Doncic and the Lakers.
"I would say to me, it's another game," Flagg told the Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis on Monday. "I know there's gonna be a lot of other things that go into that game and through a lot of these guys' mindsets and whatnot.”
To me, it's simply another contest. I'm focused on getting through each day, handling things as they come, one day at a time, one game at a time. Currently, our objective is to discover methods for securing victories.
As November winds down, Cooper and Flagg are on divergent paths regarding team success.
While Cooper is exhibiting promise on a lowly 5-14 Mavericks squad (he’s averaging 15.9 points and 6.4 rebounds through 18 games, Doncic is making an impressive MVP case (he’s averaging 34.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 8.8 assists in 12 outings) on a Lakers squad that possesses the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Despite this, Flagg possesses the correct mindset just days before the Mavericks' impending matchup against Doncic and the Lakers, and the Duke alum should not let external distractions hinder his growth in Dallas.
Doncic, on the other hand, likely had the contest circled on his calendar weeks in advance.
In February, the Mavericks made a regrettable decision by trading the five-time All-Star to the Lakers, compelling him to continue his NBA career with a Los Angeles team that had been stagnant since their 2020 championship victory.
As expected, Doncic has made Dallas regret its unacceptable error, not only excelling as the Lakers' primary scorer but also steering the franchise toward championship contention.
Doncic and the Lakers are anticipated to be in a strong position to achieve a significant road victory against the Mavericks on Friday evening.
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