41 minutes ago
Increase since his birthday
From shaky throw to weapon: Flagg hits threes and even impresses Jokic
Cooper Flagg showed his best offensive performance in the NBA to date against the Denver Nuggets. The 19-year-old impressed with his efficiency from outside and his maturity and decision-making in crunch time. Nikola Jokic found words of praise for the performance.
“It was my birthday.” With this sentence, Cooper Flagg tongue-in-cheek declared one of his best performances of the season after the Dallas Mavericks’ 131:130 win against the Denver Nuggets. Flagg is 19 years old as of Sunday and has only missed two three-pointers since then. Against Denver he scored four times from outside, more than ever before in his young NBA career.
In fact, the long-distance throw has been the biggest flaw in the rookie’s game so far. In his first 28 NBA games as an 18-year-old, Flagg only hit 23.4 percent of his three-point attempts. Against the Nuggets, the throw seemed fluid, confident and integrated into the game. Flagg hit his first seven shots from the field, including a deep three-pointer late in the clock after he turned to the bench, grinned and stuck out his tongue.
“Just having fun,” Flagg explained of the moment. “I think I’m at my best when I’m just playing freely and having fun.”
But it wasn’t just the ease with which Flagg scored that made an impression. When Denver caught up with an 18-point deficit and the game entered the decisive phase, the rookie remained in control.
That’s exactly what Nikola Jokic noticed. “He was definitely hot out there,” the three-time MVP said, “but just the attitude he played with. He doesn’t feel as young out there anymore.” Jokic continued, Flagg looked like a player who had already played and won “important games”.
Numbers that make history
In the end there were 33 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists on the statistics sheet. A statline that only Luka Doncic and Jason Kidd had previously achieved as rookies in the Mavericks’ franchise history.
Anthony Davis, himself strong with 31 points and nine rebounds, was surprised when he heard Flagg’s numbers. “Oooh! He’s probably not good enough for a triple-double,” Davis joked. “But that’s a damn good statistic, especially with a win.”
Particularly strong: Flagg is now one of the league’s most efficient players in close games. With 68 points in clutch situations, he is already among the NBA leaders.
When asked about his improved throwing, Flagg remained down-to-earth. “Just be confident. Trust your own work,” he said. This development comes as no surprise: Flagg had already made a significant leap in college after initial problems from outside sources. Even now a pattern seems to be repeating itself. Since Flagg has increasingly played in his natural forward position and been used less as a primary ball handler, his game has also seemed clearer.
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