Don't let his sparse facial hair fool you. Cooper Flagg is a beast on the court with the face of a teenager and the skillset of a veteran NBA star. As the Dallas Mavericks continue to struggle, Flagg continues to give everyone a glimpse into the franchise's promising future with him as its centerpiece.
The exceptional talent was a given. The ferocity and competitiveness were no surprise. But the display of maturity – that was something no one saw coming from the 19-year-old.
For ESPN's Tim MacMahon, this early rise and consistent growth are a sign of what's to come, and the league should brace itself.
"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."
The comparisons between LeBron James and Flagg are expected. They both entered the league at 18 years old and are both versatile 6'9" wings with insane athleticism, basketball IQ, defense and scoring arsenal.
In his rookie year, James averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists. This season, Cooper, who turned 19 on December 21, has logged 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 19 games, according to Basketball Reference.
In December, Coop broke the King's 2003 record for most points by an 18-year-old in a game after dropping 42 points in an OT loss to the Utah Jazz . He also became the youngest to score 35 points, a record James also held.
Besides LeBron, Cooper has also drawn comparisons to Luka Doncic despite playing different positions and having distinct play styles. Dallas fans viewed Coop as the replacement for their former franchise centerpiece, who got traded in February.
However, MacMahon believes the comparison is moot.
"He's good, but he ain't Luka… They're very different players," he said. "The thing about Flagg is he's gonna impact the game on both ends of the floor on a consistent basis in ways that Luka does not on the defense end, obviously."
Flagg is averaging solid numbers as a rookie, putting him ahead in the NBA's Rookie Ladder. However, MacMahon believes that he can take his offensive game to the next level by improving his 3-point shooting.
This season, he has drilled only 31 of his 108 attempts from beyond the arc. He is averaging 1.0 triples on 3.4 attempts per game for a 28.8-percent efficiency, which is 36th among his fellow rookies. MacMahon is optimistic that over time, Flagg will find his touch from deep.
"I do think the 3-pointer will come along. That's a skill you see guys develop over the course of their career," he said. "He's already a better scorer than I thought he'd be in his rookie year. If he can develop that three, he might be an elite scorer."
Right now, what is boggling fans and pundits like MacMahon is Flagg's extremely high ceiling and his potential to become an MVP. And for the struggling Mavericks, this is a reason to rejoice.
"The reason he was the no-brainer number one overall pick was not because of his scoring potential," he said. "They've got a chance with this kid. He's got a chance to be an MVP candidate in the not-too-distant future."
In the meantime, Flagg and the Mavs need to focus on the present, where they are ranked 12th in the West with a 12-21 record.
It will be years before the new franchise cornerstone can turn things around in Dallas. Fans can only seek solace in the fact that it will eventually happen. They'll just have to wait a bit.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
