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Instant Reactions: John Poulakidas scores 23 points in Mavericks loss to Suns
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- Instant Reactions: John Poulakidas scores 23 points in Mavericks loss to Suns
Cooper Flagg was the fourth freshman in history to win the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and the NBA's Rookie of the Year, all within a 12-month span. Yet some NBA scouts, coaches and front-office executives believe there is still significant potential for Flagg to unlock heading into his sophomore season with the Dallas Mavericks .
During his 2025-26 rookie campaign, Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He shot 46.8% from the field, 29.5% from 3-point range and 82.7% from the free-throw line, which translated to a 54.7% true shooting percentage (TS%).
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Flagg was one of 10 players in the NBA to average at least 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum reached those numbers over just 16 games, while players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson fell short of the rebounding mark despite carrying similar scoring workloads.
So, if Flagg was already producing at that level as a rookie, where exactly is the room for improvement?
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