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Cooper Flagg’s first season in the NBA has not gone as planned and the rookie admitted it’s been tough.
Flagg, 19, has had considerable personal success this season and is in contention for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. However, the Dallas Mavericks have not had much success, as they are 24-52 and nowhere near playoff contention.
“Obviously, it’s been tough. Like you said, you know, through high school, college, I mean, I only lost four games last year. So there have been times of the season where it’s been, you know, really mentally taxing on me,” Flagg said during a recent appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”
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Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) controls the ball in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Gareth Patterson/AP Photo)
Anthony Davis played just 20 games with the Mavericks before sustaining a hand injury and was eventually traded to the Washington Wizards. Star point guard Kyrie Irving tore his ACL last season and has not played this season.
Flagg hopes that he can look back at the tough times and say he learned from them.
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Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) drives against Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Jeffrey Phelps/AP Photo)
“Just not having success that I would’ve hoped for, and obviously, we’ve had a lot of injuries and a lot of unfortunate things happen throughout the year. It’s obviously not been ideal. I’ve had growth along the way, and I’ve had to get better and learn on the fly, but definitely not the start I would’ve looked for. Hopefully, eventually I’ll be able to look back on it and know that I was able to learn a lot from it,” Flagg said.
Flagg said he was thrown out there and into the fire more than he was expected, but he said it’s helped him develop and become more confident and comfortable.
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Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) drives against Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Jeffrey Phelps/AP Photo)
In 64 games, the Newport, Maine, native has averaged 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and nearly one block per game.
Flagg’s rookie season will continue when the Mavericks play the Orlando Magic (40-36) on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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