In recent months, a rookie named Cooper Flagg has become the center of attention in NBA discussions. Since his rise to fame in 2022, he has been consistently impressing basketball fans across the world. In 2022, he was named the best male basketball player of the year, and in 2024 he was named Gatorade’s National Player of the Year, Naismith Prep’s Player of the Year, Mr. Basketball USA, and McDonald’s All-American. Even after he was drafted to the NBA in 2025, his success hasn’t slowed. During his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks, he had the 3rd most points scored by an 18 year old (526), only behind Kobe Bryant (539) and Lebron James (625), arguably two of the most respected players in NBA history. Now, as of February 2026, he averages a whopping 20.4 points per game, and is continuing to be praised for his generational talent on the court.
In fact, his well-roundedness can be attributed to several factors.
For one, Flagg uses his build to its fullest potential. Sitting at 6’9 and roughly 205 lbs, coupled with his speed and strength, he is easily able to drive towards the basket by creating separation between him and his opponents. In addition, his large wingspan of 7’0 allows him to create even further separation by guarding the ball from a distance. This play style is extremely similar to Jayston Tatum, a renowned forward for the Boston Celtics. As a player who has a similar build as Flagg, he is able to create separation for shots at the perimeter, mid-range, and at the rim, being a strong indicator of Flagg becoming a hall of famer later in his NBA career. This is evident when he goes up against smaller defenders. He is easily able to post up against them, and go for a fade-away or a higher shot close to the rim. His most important attribute, however, is his high basketball IQ. Flagg anticipates where passing lanes will be (straight paths between the passer and receiever), allowing him to easily rack up steals. These create fast-break opportunities for the offense, which almost always result in guaranteed points.
However, his most notable skills are his defense and his offense. Flagg’s defense is exceptionally strong because he is able to guard all five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and the center, with the latter often being the toughest, strongest, and tallest player on the team. This makes him an invaluable asset to the Mavericks because no matter what type of team they’re playing against, they can count on Flagg to dish out steals and blocks that will diminish the amount of points that the opposing team can score, and only increase the amount of points that the Mavericks can score. This can be seen during their game against the Thunder in October 2025 which resulted in a win (101-94). Currently being the most dominant team with a record of 42-14, the Thunder have proved themselves to be one of the most defensively strong teams in the league. They are known for frequently rotating their players, especially their rookies, so that the entire team can produce points without key players getting tired, such as Shai-Gilgeous Alexander (SGA), while simultaneously building experience so that the rookies are more confident in games. In his short 14 minutes of play time, he was able to create a sizeable lead for the Mavericks before half-time, scoring all 10 of his points, all while grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists.
One thing that he can do, that many other star players can’t do, is play well off-the ball. For example, there are several examples of star players who do not play well off the ball such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, and even Lebron James. The most prominent of them example, however, is Russell Westbrook. He currently plays for the Sacramento Kings which essentially serves as a team that unwanted free-agents can sign with. Westbrook is the star point guard of the team, relying on his athleticism to keep possession of the ball and drive to the basket. This approach works against smaller defenders, but against larger ones, it leads to him frequently turning over the ball. On the other hand, Flagg is able to make quick cuts, and facilitate pick and rolls that result in quicker points and less turn-overs since the ball isn’t only in his possession for too long.
Although, Cooper Flagg is already a phenomenal player, his career has only scratched the surface. He is only in his second year of the NBA, and there are still many ways that his career could go downhill. Instead of continuing to work on his game, Flagg could get ahead of himself and start skipping/cutting pratices like Ben Simmons, who went from a promising rookie in the 2017-18 season, to one of the worst players in the NBA. However, if he chooses not to let the fame get to his head, and continues to work on his game, he could potentially reach heights that the NBA has never seen before.
