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Anthony Davis shares his honest thoughts about Cooper Flagg hitting the rookie wall
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- Anthony Davis shares his honest thoughts about Cooper Flagg hitting the rookie wall
It's no secret that the Dallas Mavericks have been struggling as an organization for almost a year now, courtesy of the Luka Doncic trade. Though the management did find a ray of hope in Cooper Flagg as the first pick in the 2025 draft, their troubles don't seem to be going away anytime soon.
Flagg, who had finally found his groove, appears to have hit the rookie wall. In the two games to start the new year 2026, the Duke sensation has averaged 11.0 points on 29.6 percent shooting from the field.
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Recently, head coach Jason Kidd addressed Cooper's rough stretch.
"He's gotta touch it. He's gotta rub it and hold it. He's gotta embrace it. That's just a mental thing. For the great ones, they touch it," said J-Kidd, who had played 19 seasons in the NBA.
Sharing his thoughts about the same off late was Flagg's teammate Anthony Davis , who did not make much of the so-called rookie wall.
"I got to ask Cooper how's he feeling. Obviously, when you're used to playing 38 games and you come in as not even halfway point the NBA season, it can be a lot… So it can be a tough position.I think every rookie hits it where they kinda go through a stretch, but I think he's playing good basketball… I think everyone in the season, for every team, kind of have what you call the dog days cause the season is so long," said Davis, who has been a heavy advocate of Flagg's skill set through the highs and lows.
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High praise for Coop
Traded overnight by the Los Angeles Lakers , it's not been an easy transition for AD either, with injuries continuing to haunt him. Nonetheless, when on the court, Davis never fails to deliver on both ends of the floor. Adding to it, he has also embraced the role of a veteran leader on the young Mavs roster, especially with Kyrie Irving likely to be out for the whole season.
A former first pick himself, Davis could certainly relate to the pressures that Flagg has been facing in his debut year. That said, The Brow is impressed with Coop's growth.
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"( Cooper Flagg ) can do it all. He's 6'8". He can score from all three levels. He's doing a good job defending - we've put him on matchups that we feel like he can win… He's good enough to take that challenge. He wants that challenge, to play against some of the best to ever do it. His offense has blossomed over this last 5 months. It's good to see. He's won us some games, for sure. He's helped us stay in games, he's taken over some games. We lean on him heavy offensively because he's more than capable," described AD, addressing Cooper's back-to-back Western Conference Rookie of the Month feats.
Closing in on the 2026 ROTY
Though Coach Kidd might have hinted at Flagg hitting a rookie wall of late, the 6'9" point forward was making quite the waves with his performances before the start of the new year. At 18 years old, he became the youngest player to score 40 or more points and record 10 or more assists in a game. Cooper's versatility at both ends of the court was surely on full display.
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During this period of November and December, Flagg averaged 20.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists, shooting close to 50 percent from the field. It has not been easy for Coop, who has had his fair share of challenges, whether it is adapting to a new playing position as a point guard or working through tense situations between the Mavs organization and its fan base.
Nevertheless, Flagg has continued to put in the effort, answering almost every challenge thrown at him. As far as hitting the rookie wall goes, it's only a matter of time before he gets used to the 82-game NBA calendar.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
