Very few rookies in the NBA have ever combined volume, efficiency, and 2-way impact in their 1st season, let alone as a teenager. That is what Cooper Flagg has been doing this season. As the number 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, he has immediately become the leader in Dallas, leading the team in points, assists, rebounds, and steals, becoming the 1st rookie since Michael Jordan to achieve such a feat.
Scoring 21.1 PPG in the NBA is tough; only 8% of NBA Players have ever done this once in their career. Cooper Flagg is doing so in his 1st season at the young age of 19. One thing that sets Cooper Flagg apart is his historical 50 Point game vs the Magic, as well as 3 other 40+ Point games, the most ever by a teenager. But the question still lies: Is this just an elite rookie season, or is this one of the best rookie years ever?
The Case FOR Cooper Flagg (Why he might be the best)
21.1 PPG as a rookie is historical in itself. Since the year 1990, Cooper Flagg is currently just 0.2 points away from 6th all-time in PPG as a rookie, sitting just behind Luka Doncic (21.2 Points) and Victor Wembanyama (21.4 Points). He hasn’t just excelled as a scorer, though; he has thrived at being the primary option for Dallas. He became the 1st ever teenager with a 50+ Point game yesterday. At this age, it is rare to see this level of offensive responsibility, but Flagg has stepped up.
The reason why people compare Flagg to LeBron so often isn’t just because of the scoring; it is the overall production and impact that resembles James so well. Averaging 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists, Flagg has developed into a Point-Forward that is capable of dishing a dime on one end, blocking a shot, and then coming back with a 3, and no one would be surprised. The versatility from a rookie this young is something that has only ever been seen in future all-time greats.
When you do some math, this is the formula for versatility: Scoring + Playmaking + Rebounding + Defense. Flagg has all of that. The defense is something that just doesn’t get talked about as much as it should, because it has directly contributed to Flagg receiving such comparisons to LeBron. Averaging 1.2 Steals and 0.9 Blocks, Cooper Flagg has developed into a true contributor on both ends, and in this NBA, 2-Way Point-Forwards seem to be the player archetype that has coaches drooling.
The defensive impact is something that coaches, fans, and journalists all adore. The ability to do everything on a court, defend, shoot, and pass seems to be the type of player that has fans so awestruck, analysts so biased towards, and coaches so impressed that they have to play that player more. Defense, in my humble opinion, is the single most important factor in any game, and when you have a player like Cooper Flagg who is elite offensively and defensively, you know you have a winner.
The Case AGAINST Cooper Flagg (Why he’s not there)
There have been a few factors that have made Cooper Flagg’s case for the Rookie of the Year drop dramatically, with one of them being his shooting inconsistency. Flagg shoots 29.7% from 3, a low number, but if you bring up the fact that he is 19 straight out of freshman year in college, then it starts to make sense. His true shooting says the same thing, 55%, it is good, but the efficiency doesn’t fully match top-tier rookie seasons yet.
Another major concern for me is the durability and workload. Flagg has already missed 12 games with foot issues, including a mid-foot sprain and multiple ankle sprains, which, with the heavy load the Mavericks are laying on him with 33.8 Minutes a game and 26.6% usage, the sustainability over multiple seasons, let alone the playoffs, hasn’t been fully tested yet. The last 10 draft classes have proven how bad rookie season injuries can be for a career; a player like Flagg turning into them would be quite disappointing, as we know the potential.
Now, this last point may make a few people mad, but Cooper Flagg has not lifted the Dallas Mavericks as other elite rookies have done. Even LeBron James lifted a weak Cavaliers team back into contention, but it doesn’t seem like Dallas will be contending anytime soon. When given the “best ever” title, you are also usually tied to a full team transformation, something that Cooper Flagg has failed to do so far.
Flagg has had one of the most complete rookie seasons ever, I am not denying that, but to be the best rookie ever, Flagg would have to either score 50 for the rest of the year, or just improve his overall efficiency, durability and try to get into the playoffs, if he actually did accomplish these things, I have no doubt that people would have crowned him as the best rookie of all time.
It’s not that Flagg has not lived up to the hype surrounding his name coming into the league, it is just that the players that he is getting compared to are just that much better then the young phenom. I truly believe that Cooper Flagg this season has had a top 5 rookie season ever, potentially the best of the modern era. He is already in elite company at the ripe of 19, while the trajectory only shoots further upwards the more he plays, and who knows, if he keeps going up this trend, we might be looking at the next LeBron James.
He might not be the best rookie ever yet, but he is currently on the path for the best teenager to ever play in the NBA. If you enjoyed this breakdown, read more deep dives on BallersCulture. Follow my X for daily stats, news and breakdowns and subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly videos.