It seems that not only are the Dallas Mavericks hoping Cooper Flagg can replace Luka Doncic as the face of their franchise immediately, but they even want him to play a similar role on offense.
While he never won a championship during his seven seasons in Dallas, Doncic is viewed by many as the second-best player in team history behind only Dirk Nowitzki . That is just how good he was for the franchise, even as a 19-year-old entering the league in 2018. It is why it was heartbreaking for millions of Mavs fans when they traded him unexpectedly earlier this year.
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However, Dallas ended up being one of the luckiest teams in NBA history when they somehow won the draft lottery with a 1.8% chance of landing the No. 1 pick. And it came at the perfect time. As a generational talent, Cooper Flagg was available in this year's event. After selecting him on Wednesday night, the organization hopes the 18-year-old can be the player that carries them for the next decade.
It is a lot of pressure to put on a teenager. Even one as gifted as the former Duke star. Fortunately for Flagg, he will get to play with future Hall of Famers Anthony Davis and, eventually, Kyrie Irving when he returns from his ACL tear. They will take a lot of the pressure off him each night. However, this week, head coach Jason Kidd revealed surprising plans to intensify the heat on the youngster from the start.
"Jason Kidd has said multiple times that he'll utilize Cooper Flagg as a 'point guard' early. And plans to push him by putting him in situations that might be uncomfortable," ESPN's Tim McMahon reported Friday.
It's enough that Flagg with be expected to make an impact from the start. Since Doncic did, and they need it with Irving expected to miss the first half of the season. But putting the ball in his hands often and leading the offense is asking a lot. He was able to do it often at Duke, but playing in the NBA and the ACC are very different.
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