Cooper Flagg Makes History With His Latest Performance

The Dallas Mavericks were expecting to be a contending team in 2025–26, but with injuries and inconsistent play from their veterans, this is a team struggling early in the season with a record of just 4–11 through their first 15 games. The lone bright spot for them, however, has been No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who has seemingly adjusted to the NBA game as quickly as the organization had hoped.

Through his first 15 career games, Flagg has averaged an impressive 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists per game, and as his season goes on, he keeps getting better and better. In their latest victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Flagg made history with his performance as well, becoming only the third player to post a 20-5-5 game before their 19th birthday, joining LeBron James and Tracy McGrady as the only ones to do so.

In that game, Flagg had a game-high 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in the overtime thriller, which was just another example of how much talent the 18-year-old has at such a young age and despite a major lack of consistent talent around him.

Simply put, the Mavericks franchise got incredibly lucky when they won the lottery and moved up to select the former Duke star, and given how well he's already playing on this team, if they can get healthy and continue his development, they have another franchise star on their hands.