Since the high school to college rule was abolished within the NBA, some records set by young players have been standing for awhile. Just last night at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles though, there was some history made.
Cooper Flagg, playing his best basketball of late, passed LeBron James as the youngest player to ever score 35 points in a game. The Dallas Mavericks rookie forward reclassified to a different draft class a few years back, so he was able to enter the league at 18 years of age.
Flagg is five days younger than LeBron was during his 35-point night, and now he’s got some history under his belt. Coinciding with his historic night, was Klay Thompson playing brilliantly off the bench.
The rookie and the vet stepped up, and now Flagg has usurped the King with this performance.
Just as important, the Mavs came away with another victory.
Cooper Flagg on the Right Track
The Dallas Mavericks have obviously been far below expectations this season. Anthony Davis hasn’t been able to stay healthy, missing most of the campaign. Kyrie Irving’s injury recovery has been ongoing, and he hasn’t been out there yet.
Of course, Cooper Flagg starting to turn a corner is exactly what this team needs. This is a 6-15 team that, outside of Flagg, hasn’t had any young guys stepping up regularly. The future is in the hands of the kid from Maine, and his ability to play at a high level will be what sets them apart.
Passing LeBron for youngest player to score 35 in a game on National TV is a big deal. Especially as the King has started to finally get healthy again. He has been the talk of the basketball world for nearly 25 years now. Few 18-year-olds have been able to rise to such a high level.
In a game against the Lakers, Flagg dished out 11 assists. But in each of the prior three, he had shot under 50% from the floor, and been held to 13 or fewer total points. He even drew high praise from Luka Doncic after their first meeting together.
There will likely be a lot of trades made by this organization at the deadline. A number of the veterans here will be on the move, and new faces will be brought in.
Dallas can only hope that they can help get the culture back in the right direction, and be ready to help Flagg continue to find his footing and grow.
Flagg Looking to Stay Hot Amidst Difficult Schedule
The Mavs upcoming schedule doesn’t look great. The next four games for the 6-15 squad is going to test them significantly. On Monday night, they battle Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
Two days later, they will battle the high-flying, high-scoring Miami Heat. The one-loss Oklahoma City Thunder await on Friday night, while the impressive Houston Rockets are right after. For a team nine games under .500, this is going to be a very revealing time.
The playoffs may not be the apparent goal at the moment, but victories are important. Cooper Flagg guiding the team to wins is the best way to see the vision forward. They need to understand how things will work when Kyrie Irving returns. With whoever is out there.
Flagg having his big day came at a great time. Now, against some of the league’s best defenders, he’ll be looking to keep it going.
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