Fresh off his first matchup against Cooper Flagg, former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had some high praise for the top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“Great player,” Antetokounmpo said of Flagg, via Dallas Hoops Journal. “High IQ, can read plays, can get downhill. For a guy his size to be able to handle the ball and make plays for himself or his teammates, he’s incredible. Obviously, he has a great coach who gives him the opportunity to have the ball in his hands, and that’s very important in our league — especially when you’re young, 19 or 20 years old. To have a coach who trusts you with the ball down the stretch, throughout the game, that’s a blessing.”
Flagg had the best game of his young career against Antetokounmpo and the Bucks as he tallied 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in 35 minutes of action. He also added two steals and a block, and shot 60 percent from the field.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has been on the receiving end of some criticism for putting the ball in Flagg’s hand early in the season and playing him at the point guard position, but Antetokounmpo thinks that the experience gained will be very valuable for Flagg moving forward in his career.
“Cooper having Jason Kidd and his coaching staff, with the talent level he has — being able to make plays for himself, get downhill, get to his spots, create for his teammates — the sky’s the limit,’ he said. “For sure, we’ll be hearing his name for a while in this league.”
Compared to early expectations, Flagg has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. However, he appears to be getting increasingly comfortable out on the floor for the Mavs, which is to be expected for an inexperienced rookie. It is important to remember that Flagg is still just 18 years old after all. He probably hasn’t even started to scratch the surface of his basketball potential.
Flagg obviously still has a lot of growing and developing to do, but the fact that he’s earning such high praise from the likes of Antetokounmpo is a good sign.