Story by
"Just a flat-out lie" - DeMarcus Cousins shuts down the hype around Cooper Flagg being a top 25 star
- Story by
- "Just a flat-out lie" - DeMarcus Cousins shuts down the hype around Cooper Flagg being a top 25 star
Cooper Flagg is slowly but surely becoming the next big thing in the league. While that doesn't surprise anyone, given that we've been hearing about him on a daily basis ever since the summer of 2024, when he went head-to-head with the league's biggest stars in Team USA scrimmages, we are still talking about a kid who has only just turned 19 years old.
At the same time, icons like LeBron James and several other superstars are gradually exiting the stage, which is pushing the Dallas Mavericks forward into a position where we could have the new face of the league, but that will be no easy task considering the presence of Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards .
Advertisement
As is usually the case when talent of this magnitude is involved, the media is eager to create a narrative around him as some sort of successor.
That has even led some to already place him among the league's best players. However, if you ask DeMarcus Cousins , the Duke product is not on that level yet.
"No chance. He's an extreme talent. He's an 18-year-old rookie, so me saying no isn't a diss to him or his development or anything like that," Cousins stressed on "FanDuel's Run It Back". "The league is so talented right now, so to say an 18-year-old rookie is already a top-25 player is just a flat-out lie. I have all the confidence in the world he will be. Extremely talented kid, and I think he will reach all the highs everyone predicted for him."
Advertisement
Flagg is already looking like a player ready to lead the franchise
A stat line of 18.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals on 47.7 percent shooting from the field, 28.5 percent from deep, and 81.7 percent from the free-throw line won't exactly leave anyone speechless, especially considering that his Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel , is very likely putting up even better numbers. Still, the context matters.
Flagg joined a team full of chaos, one that has yet to recover from the Luka Doncic trade, which ultimately resulted in the firing of GM Nico Harrison. Kyrie Irving is still sidelined, Klay Thompson is having the worst season of his career and Anthony Davis has suffered yet another serious injury.
Advertisement
On top of all that, Jason Kidd decided to use Flagg as a point guard in his first few games due to a critical lack of ball handlers. That made the then-18-year-old's adjustment to the NBA's demands extremely difficult.
From that perspective, a 14–25 record and 12th place in the Western Conference shouldn't come as a surprise. The Mavericks are still stuck in limbo, trying to maximize this season due to the pressure following the Doncic trade, hoping Irving might return, while at the same time being presented with a serious option to tank and rebuild, as many believe the next draft class could be even stronger than this already phenomenal one.
That's exactly what the San Antonio Spurs did with Wembanyama, and it's something the Mavs should consider with Flagg, as it's clear things aren't heading in the right direction with aging veterans. Still, amid all the absences, Flagg has emerged as a legitimate star for the team, and his numbers have improved significantly since returning to his natural position.
Advertisement
From that perspective, DMC's take is absolutely on point, even though there have already been several nights where the 6-foot-9 forward showed he can already be mentioned in the context of the league's best players. Meanwhile, Tim MacMahon believes Coop can become an MVP in the near future .
"He looks like a kid. He doesn't play young. The moustache and goatee don't connect. He still has to use little pimple patches and stuff," MacMahon said on "The Hoop Collective". "Wait until this kid gets some hair on his chest; he's going to be scary."
Flagg has all the tools to become an all-time great
With his current scoring average, Flagg is the sixth-best teenage scorer in league history, behind LeBron, Carmelo Anthony , Doncic, Kevin Durant and Edwards. He currently leads his team statistically in four of the five major categories, which would make him the first rookie since Michael Jordan to do so.
Advertisement
He is also the only player this season, alongside Nikola Jokic , to accomplish that feat. With everything mentioned above, the picture of what lies ahead is slowly becoming clear. Soon, Flagg won't be discussed as a top 25 player in the league, but potentially as early as next season, as a top-ten player. What's even more frightening is imagining what he might look like in a more structured system than the one he's currently in with Dallas.
Flagg truly possesses a unique and God-given talent that could make Dallas fans forget about the Doncic trade, which they have never truly recovered from, to this day.
Advertisement
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
