Young Cooper Flagg entered the NBA with lofty expectations behind him. He still has his entire career ahead of him, but Flagg hasn’t jumped out of the gates as many expected he would. It can be largely due to the Dallas Mavericks playing him out of position. Fortunately for Flagg, those days are gone, and he couldn’t be happier.
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One of the most enticing aspects of Flagg’s game is his skill set at 6-foot-9. He’s a workhorse on both sides of the ball, while even having guard-like abilities. However, it’s important to understand that he’s not a guard. Unfortunately, that hasn’t really mattered to head coach Jason Kidd.
According to Cleaning The Glass, Flagg played 204 possessions at point guard. His plus/minus was an abysmal -24.4. His production on the court wasn’t any better with averages of 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 38.8% shooting from the field.
Thankfully, Kidd realized this was hurting Flagg more than helping him. As a result, Flagg is back to playing as a forward. The Duke product didn’t hide his feelings when speaking about the change to the media.
“It’s a lot of pressure & a lot of responsibility that comes with being a point guard,” Flagg said to Mike Curtis. “I don’t know if I was ready for that or if I was ready to handle that right off the bat.”
In an ideal world, the Mavericks wouldn’t have even tried to throw Flagg into the fire so early. If Kyrie Irving were healthy, he would’ve assumed those responsibilities. Unfortunately, Irving isn’t healthy, so the Mavericks will have to make due with what they have.
Kidd has now entrusted more responsibilities to D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Williams. Flagg has noticeably benefited greatly since making that adjustment. When Flagg starts as a forward, he is averaging 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 47.5% shooting. His numbers are higher in every stat across the board.
That said, the 18-year-old hasn’t ruled out the idea down the line.
“I tried my best & that’s not to say I can’t go back to it,” Flagg said. “I can work on it & get better. It’s just worked out lately where it’s just better to have somebody else help and relieve pressure.”
Kidd was the mastermind behind putting the ball in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s hands during his time as head coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. His attempt at replicating the same formula with Flagg may have failed now, but surely won’t be the last attempt. When that time comes, Flagg has ensured he will be ready for the challenge.
