Dallas sports felt rough for a while. The Cowboys ended their season with a loss to New York. That loss locked in a losing record. Around the same time, the Dallas Stars fell into a six game losing streak. Hope was hard to find.
Then Cooper Flagg showed up.
Night after night, the rookie has been the one thing fans can believe in. He has quickly become the clear favorite for Rookie of the Year. His season has shown just how wide his game really is.
Some nights are loud. Christmas was one of them. Flagg completely took over. He made 13 shots and controlled the game from start to finish. During a tight back to back stretch that same week, he scored 60 points across games against Denver and Golden State. That stretch made sure nobody could ignore him anymore.
Other nights matter just as much. They tell a deeper story.
Against Houston, Flagg struggled to shoot. He went 3 for 12 from the field. It did not slow him down. He hit all 4 of his free throws. He grabbed 7 rebounds. He handed out 6 assists. He added 2 steals. He helped everywhere without forcing anything.
That is what young stars learn over time. Consistency becomes the real challenge. Not the defender in front of them.
With the season nearing its midpoint and 41 games played, longtime broadcaster Chuck Cooperstein shared his thoughts.
He said Flagg has been everything anyone hoped for. He praised his skill and his competitiveness. Cooperstein said Flagg plays like someone who has been in the league for 10 years, not a few months.
When asked about a moment that defined the season so far, Cooperstein answered right away.
It happened in Los Angeles against the Clippers. The Mavericks had lost the night before. Anthony Davis had just returned but did not play the second game of the back to back. Then P.J. Washington sprained his ankle during pregame introductions.
That is when Flagg decided it was his night.
He did not wait. He did not defer. He scored 14 points in the first quarter alone. He finished with 35 points and 8 rebounds. Dallas won that game. That win sparked a stretch where the Mavericks won 5 of their next 6 games.
That stretch sums up Flagg’s impact.
He understands the moment. He knows when to take over and when to lift others. Even with Kyrie Irving’s return still uncertain, Flagg has become the steady presence Dallas leans on.
If this path continues, Flagg is on track to make history. He would join Jason Kidd and Luka Dončić as the only Rookie of the Year winners in franchise history.
That means passing names like Dirk Nowitzki and Mark Aguirre. Even Rolando Blackman gets left behind.
For the third time, the Rookie of the Year award looks like it is heading to Dallas. And for the third straight season, it appears set to stay in the Southwest Division.
This time, it belongs to a rookie who already plays like a veteran.
