Cooper Flagg’s stark reality emerges that the Mavericks can’t ignore

Before we get into this article, it’s important to note that Cooper Flagg has an extremely high ceiling and will probably become a superstar one day. The point of this in-depth review is to predict how long his development in the NBA might take – and to ask if Flagg is even close to becoming a star in the league at this point.

The The Mavericks continued to deploy Flagg at the point guard position — an experiment that just doesn’t work. There were already questions about Flagg’s shot-making ability before he was even drafted, but the thought process was that he could flourish alongside several quality playmakers. Instead, the Mavs tried to make Flagg a point guard, and the results were discouraging for both the player and the team as a whole.

Cooper Flagg scored

D’Angelo Russell is a reliable veteran, and Ryan Nembhard offers point guard skill but is inexperienced. However, no player starts. Russell gets a respectable amount of minutes, but is more of a combo guard compared to a true point guard.

Whether it’s a lack of strong point guard play or jitters early in his career, Flegg’s scoring has not lived up to his NBA hype so far. The 18-year-old is currently averaging 13.6 points per outing while shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from behind the three-point line.

He is a strong finisher, shooting 70.6 percent from 0-3 feet from the basket. Flagg was expected to take care of business with his mid-range shot, but he’s shooting just 28 percent from three to 10 feet from the hoop and 33.3 percent from 10-16 feet from the basket. He was better from 16 feet to the three-point line, shooting 36.4 percent from that range. However, his scoring woes continue when he gets behind the three-point line, as he’s only 30.8 percent from beyond the arc at the bottom of the net.

Not everything is Fleg’s fault, though. He had to consistently create looks for himself – and as mentioned, that was a question mark coming out of college. As a result, Flagg forced several less-than-ideal looks that led to turnovers.

Is it time to panic?

In the long run, there is no reason to panic. Cooper Flagg has been battling a shoulder problem which can negatively affect his number. The lack of shot creation around him only led to negative results.

With all that said, there are serious questions about how long Flagg’s development in the NBA will last. There was real optimism before the season that he would only need a season or two to become an All-Star caliber player. However, through seven games it looks like he is nowhere close to becoming that kind of player.

The long-term outlook remains bright. Flagg, if he lives up to his ceiling, will surely reach that All-Star status in the next three to five years or so. However, Mavericks fans will have to be patient.

He’s only 18 years old and Dallas plays him in a point guard role that only further limits his development. The Mavs aren’t helping matters and Flagg is far from a complete player right now, but there is still plenty of hope for Flagg’s NBA future.