LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks runs up the court in the second half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks successfully captured the flag and got the first overall pick in the 2025 draft. What they’ve gotten is even better than anyone could’ve expected.
Cooper Flagg has successfully bounced back from a poor start and is now the Rookie of the Year favorite. He’s second among all rookies in points with 18.9 per game, first in assists with 4.2 per game and third in rebounds with 6.5 per game.
What may be the most impressive part of his rookie season is his stats in the clutch. The Mavericks have had to play 27 clutch games this season, a game in which the score is within five with less than five minutes left in the game. Flagg has played in 25 of those 27 games. He’s scored 70 total points on 47.7 percent shooting in those moments. He maintains basically the same shooting percentage when the game is close. This isn’t always the case for rookies.
Flagg’s 70 clutch points put him tied for sixth in the league in clutch points. He’s tied with Devin Booker currently. Booker is an experienced NBA veteran who’s played under the brightest lights before. To be tied with him as a rookie is no small feat. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in clutch points with 104. It would be a long shot for Flagg to catch up to him.
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The last time we saw another rookie in this clutch was another Mavericks rookie. Luka Doncic scored 120 points on 44.6 percent shooting in 38 games in the clutch. Doncic made the All-Star team the next season and is currently one of the league’s brightest stars. If Flagg can follow in those footsteps, he’s got a bright future ahead of him.
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