Insiders tell the truth about the one part of Cooper Flagg’s game that may make him unstoppable

ByNBAUSA



Exceptional shooting from Cooper Flagg Dallas believes his rookie cornerstone is starting to erase the lone weakness in his offensive profile.

Following The Dallas Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets 131–130 on Tuesday night, ESPN insider Tim McMahon identified Flagg improved perimeter shooting as a swing skill that could elevate him into an outrageous scorer.

MacMahon spoke during ESPN’s NBA Today program on Christmas Eve, pointing to Flegg’s effectiveness beyond the arc as a defining development.

“He was shooting the 3-pointer. This was the only blemish in his game since they stopped this experiment with him at point guard… 4-of-6 from three, career high, season, whatever you want to call it. This was a guy who shot 23%. If he was shooting the 3-pointer, don’t forget about him as a result.”

Flagg turned in one of the most complete performances of his young career against Denver, finishing with 33 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, one steal and one block. He shot 14-for-21 from the field and logged 40 minutes, controlling the game late in Dallas’ one-point win.

Nikola Jokic highlights Cooper Flagg’s maturity during the Mavericks’ recent turnaround

MacMahon also conveyed compliments of Denver star Nikola Jokicwhich highlighted Flagg’s composure, not his goal.

“But forget what stood out to me, I asked the Joker, Nikola Jokic, the three-time MVP, what stood out about Cooper Flagg’s performance. He said the composure he plays with doesn’t look that young on the outside. He was impressed with the maturity of this kid (and) he said he feels like he’s played in big games before and won a lot of games in his life.”

The 19-year-old has improved offensively over the last five games, averaging 27.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 blocks while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three. That stretch includes a career-high 42 points in last Monday’s 140–133 loss to the Utah Jazz.

For the season, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 48.7 percent overall and 26.7 percent from deep in 30 games.

The win over Denver improved Dallas to 12–19 after a 5–15 start, continuing a gradual turnaround. The The Mavericks will open a three-game road trip against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day (15–15) at 5:00 PM ET on ABC and ESPN.





2025-12-24 21:32:00

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