Cooper Flagg proved he could stand tall even without Anthony Davis, and the Mavericks are hoping the pair will flourish together.
Dallas pulled away in a 118-108 win over the Miami Heat, fueled by a sequence where Flagg followed a Davis bank shot with a jumper, then rejected a jump hook from Anthony Wiggins on the other end before driving in for a contested layup off a Davis pass. That sequence epitomized how the rookie No. 1 overall pick can contribute alongside a seasoned star, helping the Mavericks stretch their first winning streak of the season to three games.
Flagg knew he'd begin his NBA journey without Kyrie Irving, who has been sidelined while recovering from an ACL tear suffered last March. The 18-year-old former Duke standout also endured roughly a month without Davis, who was out with a left calf strain.
Dallas stumbled to a 5-15 mark after Davis’ return to the lineup was delayed by injury, but the team bounced back the following night without him and then rattled off consecutive wins against playoff contenders Denver and Miami.
"When you talk about the stars, he didn’t have the two stars on the floor, so he had to endure the best wing defender, and I thought he did an incredible job," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "In clutch moments, he responded positively. For an 18-year-old to be leaned on without AD or Kai out there, I thought he answered well."
During Davis’ absence, Flagg even shared floor time with LeBron James on a couple of occasions. In last month’s 118-115 win over New Orleans, Flagg posted 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists. James is the only other 18-year-old to log at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game.
With Davis resting on the second night of a back-to-back in a 114-110 win at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to drop 35 points. He and James are the only 18-year-olds to have 30-point games.
"I learned a lot during that stretch, and as a team, we learned a lot too. It wasn’t the start we hoped for, but it should give us gratitude going forward. If we can find success and remember a rough patch, I grew a lot during that period," Flagg reflected.
Flagg finished 9-for-13 from the floor and led Dallas with 22 points against the Heat, while Davis has shown a 57% shooting pace over the last four games since returning. The Mavericks had five games together at the season’s start, though Flagg wasn’t as assertive then.
The absence of shooting from a recent slump has been offset by veteran support. Klay Thompson, another champion who has been finding his stroke again, contributed 17 points off the bench in the game with Miami, while Davis added 17 points and 17 rebounds.
"It’s a lot better for us when he’s out there," Flagg said of Davis. "Together with Klay out there, the gravity they create pulls defenses and opens up space. That’s huge for me."
Of course, Davis can’t be counted on for every game, given his injury history since the high-profile trade last year that sent Luka Dončić to the Lakers. If Davis stays healthy, Flagg will be part of the plan to accelerate the team’s transition into contention, aided by veteran players and a potential return from Irving after January 1.
Kidd noted how opponents often assign their top defender to Davis, which frees Flagg to operate with the ball and to attack the paint while also benefiting from Davis’s presence on the court. Flagg isn’t being asked to carry every responsibility, and the dynamic should help relieve some of the burdens he faced early on.
Davis and Flagg teamed up to score the final eight Dallas points to dampen a late Miami rally, sealing the victory for the Mavericks.
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