Cooper Flagg’s arrival in Dallas is a rare situation where the team still isn’t that bad despite having the first overall pick. The Duke product will have an opportunity to come right in and help the team win, potentially turning them into a title contender. But amid comparisons to the likes of Larry Bird, Stephen A. Smith, and Brian Windhorst, think that fans should pump the brakes a bit.
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It’s hard not to get excited about Flagg. He led Duke in all major statistical categories and ran away with the National Player of the Year award. Flagg is just the 4th Freshman to win the award all time, next to Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson. So, it’s almost guaranteed that he will be a star.
But Stephen A. Smith wants fans to simmer down a little bit. He knows that when people see a player of Flagg’s skin color balling, their minds usually go to Bird. However, he wanted to remind folks that the Hall of Famer was a unique player and is incomparable.
“So, when people look at him, obviously, he’s talented, he’s athletic, he’s gifted as a basketball player, and he also happens to be white. They think about Larry Bird. No way in hell. He ain’t that dude,” Stephen A. shared on The Stephen A. Smith Show.
Yet at the same time, the famed analyst wanted to stay supportive of Flagg. He said that he still thinks he can be an amazing player.
“I don’t think he’s a Larry Bird type because he’s not that kind of scorer. But I do think he’s gifted enough to be whatever the hell he wants to be, considering the fact that he’s gifted as he is at his age,” Stephen A. added.
One would be overestimating Flagg’s abilities to think that he will come in and be an elite scorer. Like every rookie in the NBA, he’s going to have to learn that certain things he could get away with in college don’t work in the pros.
That’s when Brian Windhorst jumped in as the guest of the show and added his thoughts on the lofty expectations some might have for Flagg. He talked about how those people might end up disappointed and underwhelmed if they expect massive scoring lines in nightly box scores for the Mavs, not because of his ability, but because of the talent surrounding Flagg.
“I agree, if you’re expecting him to 25, 28 points a game coming out of the gate, that’s not going to happen. Not only that, he’s got other scorers on his team,” Windhorst said.
The analyst would go on to mention that Klay Thompson will be the primary shooter on the Mavs next season, not Flagg. Dallas also has Anthony Davis, who will be getting a ton of shots. And when Kyrie Irving returns in January, he will be getting up a lot of shots as well. So, we should expect the rookie to fill in more as a connecter in space who can score from time to time.
Furthermore, Windy thinks that because of the lack of need to score on the Mavs, Flagg might miss out on awards.
“Look, it’s even possible, Stephen A., that he may not even win Rookie of the Year. Ace Bailey or somebody else may get on a team where he might average 28 points, 25 points, and put up huge numbers. And you might not see Cooper Flagg because his role is not to be a high scorer, and a lot of times that defines what people think of rookies,” Windhorst said.
It’s certainly within the range of outcomes. As hyped as we are on Flagg right now, he might end up being the third-best player on the team by January. He should still make a massive impact as a versatile defender, but offensively, he could disappear some nights.
However, Windhorst doesn’t think any of this is going to be a bad thing. In fact, he thinks Flagg will have a great impact on a team that’s ready to win now.
“But in terms of his overall impact on the game, I mean, all I’ll say is this, it’s very rare for rookies to drive winning. LeBron instantly made the Cavs better, but he didn’t make the playoffs till his third year. Luka Doncic, one of the biggest impact players, he didn’t make the playoffs until I think his third year. Kevin Durant, he didn’t make the playoffs until his third year,” Windhorst listed.
All in all, the ESPN analyst wants us to be patient with Flagg’s overall game. But he also wants us to recognize the rarity of what we could see.
“The idea that you’re going to drive winning from day one, that doesn’t happen with rookies. I believe this player on this team- he can help drive winning.”
They’re lofty expectations to place upon the rookie. Last season, the Mavericks were a disaster after trading away Luka. Injuries mostly affected their potential, but the bad vibes from unexpectedly getting rid of the face of the franchise permeated throughout the organization. All of a sudden, they have a new face to lead the charge. But for now, he still might need to marinate for a few years before reaching LeBron or Luka status.
It makes sense. It’s always better to keep expectations low for any prospect. But with Flagg, his tape is so electric, and he’s been hyped up to the max. Fans are expecting great things right away. Despite what Stephen A. and Windhorst might want to caution us into thinking.
