Mavericks' disappointing start hides perfect Cooper Flagg silver lining
The Dallas Mavericks have completed their five-game homestand to kick off the season, and sit with a 2-3 record. It's obvious the team is still learning and progressing their chemistry as they go. Anthony Davis is the team's MVP, averaging 20.8 points per game and 10.2 rebounds. Right beneath him in the points category is P.J. Washington, followed by Cooper Flagg. The Mavs' rookie is having a mediocre start to the year, averaging 13.4 points per game and 6.2 rebounds.
Although he is currently in the top five of the Kia Rookie Ladder. Flagg trails Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe, Cedric Coward, and Dylan Harper. Leading rookie Edgecombe is having a great start to the season, averaging 22.3 points per game. He is clearly the top rookie right now and someone Flagg will need to chase to win Rookie of the Year.
Yet, give it time, and Flagg will start rising the rookie ladder. His mid-level numbers shouldn't worry fans, as his history proves he hasn't hit his peak. If you remember, Flagg had a slow start in his one season at Duke. He struggled to find his rhythm and didn't find his stride till after the first month. Eventually, Flagg became one of the top college players and a top draft pick.
History shows that a Cooper Flagg breakout is inevitable
Flagg averaged 15.9 points per game during the first month of his college career. He shot 43.5 percent during that time and was just a young pup learning new tricks. Eventually, he began averaging 23.9 points per game, as his game drastically improved. Flagg soon became an unstoppable player and a star attraction for Duke University.
Fast forward to now, and nothing says the same trend won't continue. As mentioned, Flagg is averaging 13.4 points per game and shooting 41 percent from the field. He showed flashes of how successful he can be, a couple of games ago, when he scored 22 points and shot 57.1 percent against the Toronto Raptors.
The game prior, Flagg scored 18 points, an improvement from his first start when he tallied 10 points. However, he had one of his worst performances on Monday when he scored two points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now granted, he did injure his left shoulder early in that game, but still played 31 minutes.
A bad game, though, shouldn't worry Mavs fans. Flagg is going to be one of the top players for Dallas. All that's needed is for coach Jason Kidd to let him loose.
One way he can do this is by letting him shoot the ball more and telling him to be aggressive. Flagg is averaging 12.2 shot attempts per game. He shot a career-low nine shots against the Thunder. In college, he shot 13.4 shots per game. So, it's clear Kidd needs to set up more attempts for his rookie. Flagg has already shown he can score in a variety of ways by converting mid-range opportunities or driving the ball inside.
Either way, there is nothing to worry about. Flagg is an 18-year-old rookie who has plenty of time and opportunities to grow. He will definitely become one of the top rookies in the league and help elevate the Mavericks' offense to new heights.
Be patient, Mavs fans, the Flagg experiment will take some time. History has shown he will grow and improve quickly. Basically, he will snap out of his slow start and grow his offensive game even further. Exciting times are coming to Dallas.
Josh Giddey is proving the Thunder dead wrong with his latest improvement
At this point, there should be zero second-guessing when it comes to the trade that sent Josh Giddey from the OKC Thunder to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso last summer.
After all, the veteran wing played an integral role in their 2025 NBA Championship run and is establishing himself as a key figure in their undefeated 6-0 start to the 2025-26 campaign.
That said, since his departure from the Sooner State, Giddey has been on an absolute tear, as he wrapped up his debut campaign with the Bulls by dropping career-best averages of 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Now, while even after putting forth such efforts it was believed that the Thunder still came away from the deal on top what with the Bulls shelling out a lucrative $100 million deal in his direction, through these early stages of the new season there's a case to be made that Sam Presti and company may be suffering from their most severe case of the "what could have beens."
Thunder proven wrong about Josh Giddey's shooting abilities
To be fair to the organization, there was never any doubt about the overall talent that Giddey possesses as a player. After all, the man boasts a pure floor general's style of play while measuring in with a traditional wing's build at 6-foot-7.
Such a combination is seemingly every team's dream in this position-less era of the NBA.
The only real issue Oklahoma City ever had with the point guard's game was his seeming inability to consistently shoot the ball, particularly from beyond the arc and in catch-and-shoot sets.
Throughout his tenure with the Thunder, Giddey shot a rather pedestrian 31.0 percent from deep and just 34.4 percent in catch-and-shoot scenarios.
It was because of this that the Aussie was deemed an ill-fitting talent alongside the kick-out, drive-oriented trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.
However, fast forward to 2025-26, and it appears that this once nonexistent skill set is something that's leading the charge to yet another career-best year for Giddey.
Not only is he posting sensational averages of 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.0 assists for the 5-0 Bulls, but he's also splashing home on 45.5 percent of his shots from deep, a mark that skyrockets to a whopping 63.6 percent when off the catch
Clearly, something has been fixed both with Giddey's shooting stroke and overall approach to the scoring aspect of the game since his move to the Windy City.
Though this still shouldn't make the Thunder regret their decision to move on from the 23-year-old, it does have both the franchise and fanbase questioning where this production was during his three-year stint in the Sooner State.
