Jason Kidd Believes This Young Forward Should Be an All-Star

Cooper Flagg is living up to the hype. His size and athleticism make him fit in the league despite being the youngest player. He has also shown offensive skills and defensive chops that not many 19-year-olds have ever shown.

He is averaging 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. His averages for a rookie are on pace with just three other players ever: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Luka Doncic. That’s a pretty impressive list to be on. 

But the question is: should Flagg make the All-Star team in his first NBA season?

When Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was asked whether Flagg should make the All-Star game, this is what he said:

"He's going to be there no matter what. If he participates in the Big Game, that's because of the work he's put in. We hope that he does make the Big Game & he gets voted in. He's playing at a high level for a young player. He's taking on the best defender. He's trying to help his team win. He's been very successful in late-game. Hopefully, he's in the Big Game. But he will participate in the Little Game, the one before. When you look at his stats, he's in a great class. They have some guys that are playing at a high level. VJ (Edgecombe), (Kon) Knueppel & Flagg—those guys are playing major minutes & helping their team win."

Flagg probably falls just slightly outside the requirements to make the All-Star team. He isn’t an elite defender yet, and he isn’t at the top of the league in any statistical categories. On top of that, his team isn’t that good either. The Mavericks are 14–23 and probably don’t deserve to have an All-Star named from their roster.

That being said, expect Flagg to make many All-Star games throughout his career. He is the real deal.