Doc Rivers discovers the Cooper Flag quality that proves he won’t let you down
On Monday night, Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks were ready to do battle against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. This was a litmus test for Flagg as far as he can go; Antetokounmpo, after all, has been one of the best players in the league over the past decade, and there are few better players for Flagg to try to match up against than the Bucks star.
The Mavericks are, of course, struggling right now, and Flagg is experiencing some growing pains. But the head coach of the Bucks Doc Rivers noted several qualities from the first overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft that seen only in players which flourished in the past.
“What I love about him, I absolutely love, is his interest. I don’t know what (exactly) to call it, but he’s a competitor,” Rivers said, via ClutchPoints Mavericks beat reporter Joey Mistretta. “In the history of our game, guys with that much athleticism, that much competitiveness and willingness to learn have never failed. You know he’s only going to get better because he wants to be.”
I asked Doc Rivers about the Cooper Flagg game. It’s safe to say he’s a rookie Mavericks fan. pic.twitter.com/uIhGkROHEk
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) November 11, 2025
Flagg, indeed, brings swagger with him every time he takes the field. He may be miscast as a point guard right now, hence the Mavericks’ decision to start a more traditional ball game in recent games, but he’s been thrown into the fire and is getting better with each passing game.
Can Flagg take the next step in his development and will the Mavericks beat the Bucks on Monday night?
The Mavericks look to right the ship amid a rough start to the 2025-26 season
The Mavericks just couldn’t catch a break as an organization. They were ravaged by injuries at the start of the year; their frontcourt depth, which should have been the team’s biggest strength, was non-existent, what with Anthony Davis and Derek Lively II who are recovering from injuries.
The Mavs keep losing after that Luka Dončić shop. Flagg’s presence is the only factor helping the Mavs, though it looks like it will take some patience before he develops into a full-fledged superstar.
2025-11-11 02:28:00
