Cooper Flagg’s rookie season in the NBA is coming to a close without a trip to the playoffs to look forward to. But what he showed Friday against the Orlando Magic should have Mavericks fans envisioning deep postseason runs in the future.
Although the Mavs lost to Orlando, 138-127, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas,the 19-year-old Flagg impressed many with his incredible performance, as he became the youngest player ever in the history of the Association to muster at least 50 points in a game. He finished with 51 points on 19/30 shooting with 6 3-pointers, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block in 34 minutes.
Dallas dropped its third straight game and now sits at a brutal 24–53, but for Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, the team’s struggles shouldn’t take away from Flagg’s individual brilliance as a rookie.
“Hard to appreciate greatness while going thru hard times but that boy is 1 of none,” Marshall wrote in a post on X.
Marshall, however, was unable to watch Flagg get to 50 points in the game, as he was ejected early in the fourth quarter after getting his second technical of the contest.
Flagg is still finding his way in the NBA, which is a scary thought, given how great he’s already looked on the court despite his youth and relative inexperience.
