Veteran guard Klay Thompson credited rookie forward Cooper Flagg for his steady growth and confidence following the Dallas Mavericks’ 113–105 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.

Stephen Curry starred for the Warriors on Christmas once again, as Golden State withstood Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.

Cooper Flagg's rise from youth phenom to No. 1 overall draft pick to Mavericks' biggest weapon has been guided by the same man.

For months prior to the 2025 NBA Draft, it was clear that, regardless of which team won the Draft Lottery, Cooper Flagg was overwhelmingly likely to be the No. 1 overall pick. That projection came to fruition when the Dallas Mavericks unexpectedly jumped up to No. 1 and, for the most part, Flagg has hit the ground running.

In 1994, the Mavericks secured the services of Jason Kidd with the second pick of the draft because they were really bad. Last summer, the Mavericks landed Cooper Flagg with the first pick because they were really lucky. But are they now headed into the land of the really bad?