Dallas Mavericks cornerback Cooper Flagg has missed the last seven games due to a foot injury, putting his Rookie of the Year chances in serious doubt heading into the final seven weeks of the season. Tuesday night's road matchup against the Charlotte Hornets will give him a chance to surpass former Duke roommate Kon Knueppel, his biggest competition for the aforementioned award. Flagg is not expected to suit up at Spectrum Center, but his return is imminent.
NBA correspondent Mark Stein writes in his Substack, "Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has already announced that Flagg 'probably won't' play in another Rookie of the Year showdown against the Hornets' Kon Nueppel on Tuesday in Charlotte... but stay tuned." "The one game that certainly matters just as much for the Maine-raised flag – Dallas's lone trip to Boston of the season – is Friday night."
The 19-year-old suffered a mid-left hamstring sprain against the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 10 and is certainly becoming a concern after being confined to the sidelines. Dallas doesn't mind improving its NBA Draft Lottery odds until the flag is fixed, but the organization understands how much the TD Garden game means to the New England native. Although a sea of green will still fill the arena, the Mavs phenom is sure to get a warm welcome in Boston.
Cooper Flagg is scoring a rookie-leading 20.4 points per contest while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from 3-point land. He averaged 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 49 games. Knueppel is emerging as a new ROTY favorite after making history from beyond the arc, but no one can underestimate the burden the No. 1 overall pick has had to endure amid the Mavericks' injury troubles and organizational idiosyncrasies.
Flagg would ideally gain valuable experience after facing substantial adversity in his first NBA season. He doesn't need to win any hardware this year to know he has a promising career ahead of him. If the teenager can continue to improve and finish the campaign strongly, both he and the franchise will be thrilled in the summer.
ClutchPoints will keep you informed about the latest injury updates around the flag.
