Despite another loss, Cooper Flagg moves up into rarified air with a big game against the LA Clippers.
lost their 48th game of the season on Saturday night to the LA Clippers, falling in overtime, 138-131. The Mavs had 6 players in double figures, but that wasn't enough to overcome 41 points from Darius Garland and 34 points from Kawhi Leonard.
Cooper Flagg had a great all-around game, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 blocks on 6/16 shooting. Even if he didn't have his greatest game shooting, his impact was felt all over the court, especially when he blocked a shot at the rim from Kawhi Leonard, then turned back and stared at him.With this game, Flagg notched his 24th game of at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists this season, which passes Luka Doncic for the most games of 15/5/5 for the second-most by a teenager in NBA history. LeBron James is in first place with 40 such games. Flagg still has plenty of time to catch James, as he just turned 19 in December, there are still 11 games left in this season, and he'll have another 25-30 games before his 20th birthday next year to pass The King. It's just another example of the incredible start Flagg has had to his career, even if the Mavs have mostly been bad.One of the big questions around Cooper Flagg entering the NBA involved what his ceiling could be. With nearly a season under his belt, we have a much clearer image. Many thought he wouldn't be more than an elite second option, but he's currently leading the team in total points, rebounds, and assists. If that's the look of a future second option, he's going to be a Scottie Pippen-type of talent. Yet, he keeps putting his name in the conversation with the elite of the elite. He's currently averaging 20.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG. If the season ended today, he'd join the following company of rookies to produce that statline for a season: Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and Luka Doncic. That's elite company to keep, and puts him on the path to be an elite, all-time player. However, there is still a long way to go before he gets there. They need to add another young star talent next to him, which they should have the chance to do in this year's draft. It's a loaded class, and with where they're projected to pick, they should find a perfect guard fit next to Flagg.Austin 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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