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Cooper Flagg’s first season in the NBA has not gone as planned and the rookie admitted it has been difficult.
Flagg, 19, has had considerable personal success this season and is in the running for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. However, the Dallas Mavericks haven’t had much success, as they are 24-52 and nowhere near playoff contention.
“Obviously, it’s been tough. Like you said, you know, throughout high school, college, I mean, I only lost four games last year. So there have been times in the season where it’s been, you know, really mentally exhausting for 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, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Gareth Patterson/AP Photo)
Anthony Davis played only 20 games with the Mavericks before suffering 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 he can look back on 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, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Jeffrey Phelps/AP Photo)
“I just didn’t have the success I expected and obviously we had a lot of injuries and a lot of unfortunate things happened throughout the year. Obviously it hasn’t been ideal. I’ve grown along the way and I’ve had to get better and learn as I go, but it definitely wasn’t the start I would have been looking for. Hopefully, eventually I’ll be able to look back and know that I was able to learn a lot from it,” Flagg said.
Flagg said he was thrown into the fire more than he expected, but he said it 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, 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 a 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.
