The expectations placed on Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, were massive, and he is living up to them. While his scoring has been sensational recently, a new viral post on X is drawing attention to the side of his game that truly makes him special: his elite, lockdown defense.
Cooper Flagg’s Surprising Stats Against the League’s Best
According to Polymarket Hoops, Flagg is completely shutting down the league’s top players:
“Cooper Flagg is holding All-Stars to 42% FG & 16% 3PT this season 🔒”
These numbers are staggering for any defender, let alone a rookie still finding his footing in the league. Flagg is living up to the massive hype he carried from college, showing that he can excel on both ends of the court. His defense is built on his physical tools — a lengthy 7-foot wingspan paired with incredible instincts allows him to disrupt plays and guard multiple positions across the floor.
He is a defensive Swiss Army knife for the Mavericks, sitting at the top of rookie leaders with 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game over 25 contests.
Rookies rarely have this kind of immediate, positive impact on a team’s defense. Flagg’s motor and intelligence force opponents to think twice before attacking him. For a Dallas team that started the year around a .400 win percentage but is steadily climbing, Flagg’s versatility on both ends of the floor is one of the reasons for their success. It has helped them win five of their last six game.
Flagg plays around 34 minutes nightly, grabbing 6.3 rebounds in the process. His unique ability to switch onto guards, forwards, or even big men while holding opponents to extremely low shooting percentages is what makes the Polymarket statistic so impressive.
The Mavericks initially struggled early on when they forced the 6’9″ Flagg into being a heavy ball-handler, which resulted in unnecessary turnovers and poor pull-up shooting efficiency.
However, a recent shift back to his more natural role at forward/power forward has unlocked his offense. Over his last 10 games, Flagg is surging, averaging 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals. This role change has simplified his game, slashing his turnovers while boosting his scoring efficiency (51.6% FG).
Likewise, Flagg’s scoring feats are putting him in rare company alongside one of the game’s greatest. In the game against the Utah Jazz on Monday, he scored 24 points in the first half. This made it his third career 20-point half, tying him with only LeBron James for the most 20-point halves recorded by an 18-year-old in the play-by-play era.
Flagg and James are the only two 18-year-olds to achieve this feat. Earlier this season, he dropped a season-high 35 points against the Clippers, becoming the second-youngest player ever (behind only LeBron) to score 30 points or more in a game.
Overall, Flagg’s offense earns him headlines and comparisons to the legends. But his ability to consistently shut down the best players in the world, as highlighted by the viral defensive data, confirms he is already an elite two-way player in the NBA.
