For the first time in his young career, Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks will face Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers on November 28. It’s the first matchup of the season between the two teams connected by last February’s shocking Doncic trade.
Speaking to reporters after Monday’s 106-102 loss to the Miami Heat, Flagg was asked about his thoughts on facing Doncic and the Lakers. The two players will always be interconnected even though Flagg wasn’t part of the trade. However, he’s the new face of the Mavericks franchise and will be compared to the Slovenian star.
“I would say to me, it’s another game. I know there’s gonna be a lot of other things that go into that game and through a lot of these guys’ mindsets and whatnot. For me, it’s just another game. I’m trying to survive day-by-day, take everything one day at a time, one game at a time. Right now, we’re just trying to find ways to win,” Flagg said, via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
The Mavericks have moved on from former general manager Nico Harrison, who was fired two weeks ago, just nine months after pulling off the Doncic trade. The attention now focuses on Flagg and how the franchise can put a good roster around him.
Flagg Missing Key Piece on His Game
While Cooper Flagg has had his fair share of ups and downs as a rookie, he has shown flashes of brilliance and potential. However, there’s one key component to his game that he needs to work on to unlock his full offensive arsenal.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger gave his scouting report on Flagg after watching the rookie up close for the first time this season. Hollinger argued that if the Duke product can develop his 3-point shooting, the game would be much easier for him.
“The other area for focus is that Flagg has to be a consistent perimeter threat, something that is holding back the rest of his game in the half court. Entering Monday, he was at 27.7 percent from 3 this season, and he record-scratched out of multiple potential 3-point attempts Saturday,” Hollinger wrote.
At just 18 years old, Flagg still has a lot of time to develop. There are going to be some growing pains this season, but it’s part of the learning curve for someone who is touted as the face of the franchise already.
Doncic Likely to Drop Huge Game Against Mavs
Friday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers will be held at Crypto.com Arena. Luka Doncic is expected to torch his former team, so Cooper Flagg is expected to have his hands full at times. Doncic is averaging an absurd 32.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game against the Mavericks.
“Luka Magic” has settled in Los Angeles quite well and has looked like an MVP in the first five weeks of the new season. The Lakers are entering Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers with a 12-4 record, which is good for third in the stacked Western Conference.
But regardless of Doncic moving on from the Mavericks, his love for the city of Dallas is still there. He was ecstatic on Sunday after beating the Utah Jazz, not because the Lakers won the game. He was excited because the Dallas Cowboys beat their rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21.
Doncic is still well-loved by Mavericks fans, so he’s likely getting a warm reception on January 24 in his first game in Dallas this season.
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