This off-season, Duke’s Cooper Flagg entered the NBA as one of the most hyped prospects in NBA history, joining the likes of Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, LeBron James and others who were crowned ‘generational’ talents before playing a game in the league. Flagg shockingly landed in Dallas following the Luka Doncic trade, and while many expected this team to be good with the veterans around him, he’s had to shoulder much more of the load early in 2025/26 than expected.
However, he has adjusted to the NBA game incredibly well, as he co-leads the team in scoring thus far with 15.6 points a night in 34 minutes of action, and he has clearly established himself as the face of this franchise moving forward, even on a team that employs Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
Cooper Flagg puts up a historic performance against the Portland Trail Blazers
While Flagg’s scoring touch has adjusted in the NBA, he also averages 7 rebounds and 3 assists per game, and at just 18 years, 330 days old, he is already showing promise as a future face of the entire league. That was all put on display in the Mavericks’ latest game, a 138-133 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, as Flagg’s 21-8-5 performance led them to that dramatic overtime victory.
It wasn’t just impressive, but it was a performance that also made history, as Flagg became just the third player in league history to post a 20-5-5 game before their 19th birthday, joining the duo of LeBron James and Tracy McGrady as the only three players to achieve such a feat.
Cooper Flagg scored a team-high-tying 21 points (9-16 FG), including 19 after halftime, to go with 8 rebs, 5 assists and 2 blocks in last night’s win.
Flagg joins LeBron James and Tracy McGrady as the only players in NBA history to post a 20-5-5 game before their 19th birthday. pic.twitter.com/LJ9n46hDyD
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) November 17, 2025
Already in his rookie season, Flagg has four games of 20+ points, with only James having more as an 18-year-old, and with the rookie averaging 20, 7 and 4 on 54% shooting from the floor over his past five games, he’s clearly getting better and better as the 2025/26 season rolls on.
Cooper Flagg last four games:
19.8 PPG
7.0 RPG
3.8 APG
1.8 SPG
54.2 FG%He’s only 18. pic.twitter.com/0IR3z9t3sN
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 17, 2025
Sure, Dallas have suffered the injury to Kyrie Irving, the constant injury issues to Anthony Davis, as well as putting their fans through the dramatic Luka Doncic trade, but in Cooper Flagg, those fans clearly see a light at the end of the tunnel.
With just 14 games under his belt, Flagg is showing promise that a select few show this early into their NBA careers, and if he can continue to improve and build upon his historic start, there’s reason to believe that the Mavericks have found their next franchise cornerstone to build around for years to come.
