Mavericks are facing Anthony Davis dilemma, and Cooper Flagg thinks it's his fault
The Dallas Mavericks are in a tricky situation, as they have a player going through an identity crisis. Anthony Davis wants to be a power forward, when everyone agrees that he's better suited to be a center in 2025.
The early returns from the offense, albeit in the preseason, have been far from great. The spacing has been awful. There's no way to sugarcoat it. Davis never has been and never will be a good shooter, neither of the centers will be shooters, D'Angelo Russell has lost a step from deep, and teams are daring Flagg to shoot until he proves otherwise. There just isn't enough spacing to make the doubters think their style of play will be sustainable. It doesn't help that Davis showed up out of shape, even if he had a great reason to be after the procedure to repair his detached retina in the offseason. That made it so that he couldn't work out for probably around a month. He came into training camp about 15 pounds heavier than normal, saying he usually works his way into shape, but Saturday's game showed that he's still a ways away from that. Davis was getting beaten constantly on the perimeter, which is something he'll have to do at power forward. It's one thing to be a center and switch on ball screens; it's another to have to guard them on every possession. Davis, in his prime, was one of the most impactful defenders of all time, but is he leaving that prime? Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg during a break in the second half of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn ImagesCooper Flagg is clearly the future face of the Dallas Mavericks. And with Kyrie Irving out, is he also the best with how Davis has looked in two preseason games? And because he's a generational prospect, he's already trying to find ways to get Davis more involved, even if it should be the other way around. ︀︀“I gotta find ways to help AD more, play off him a little better," Flagg said after Saturday's preseason game. "Help him impact the game when he’s posting up, getting his isos. So I gotta find a way to help him a little bit more but I think it’s been huge trying to fit together.”“I gotta find ways to help AD more, play off him a little better. Help him impact the game when he’s posting up, getting his isos,. So I gotta find a way to help him a little bit more but I think it’s been huge trying to fit together.”The lineups with Flagg and P.J. Washington in the frontcourt alongside Dereck Lively II looked great, which only has the doubters asking for the Mavs to trade Davis even more.Mavericks’ Anthony Davis already falling into same trap that cost Luka DoncicAustin Veazey joined NoleGameday as the Lead Basketball Writer in 2019, while contributing as a football writer, and started as editor for MavericksGameday in 2024. Veazey was a Florida State Men’s Basketball Manager from 2016-2019. Follow Austin on Twitter at @EasyVeazeyNG
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