The Dallas Mavericks (3-8) once again let victory slip through their fingers, falling 116-114 to the Milwaukee Bucks (7-4) on Monday night. After beating Washington just days earlier, Dallas hoped to turn the corner, but Giannis and company had other plans. Still, there was a silver lining: rookie Cooper Flagg finally showed the spark that made him the top overall pick. For the first time, the flashes lived up to the hype, although it came with a fair share of growing pains.

In the postgame presser, Cooper Flagg gave a small but reassuring update about his thumb injury, the one fans noticed wrapped during the game. He explained, “Happened one of the plays the last game. I was attacking the rim, trying to dunk. I think I hit off the rim a little bit. A little sprain, thumb sprain. So, nothing too crazy.

Flagg continued, “Obviously, I was able to play through it tonight. Um, maybe I’ll tape my thumb every game, but, um, thought it was okay. You know, it’s obviously a little painful, but, um, like I said, nothing crazy.”

The good news for Dallas fans: Cooper Flagg’s thumb injury isn’t serious enough to sideline him. He revealed it happened during a dunk attempt in Saturday’s win over the Wizards but assured everyone it’s nothing major.

While the team will likely monitor him ahead of Wednesday’s clash against the Suns, the fact that he played through the pain on Monday is a strong sign he’ll be just fine.

It would be a real blow for Dallas if Cooper Flagg is forced to sit out, especially with Anthony Davis already missing his sixth straight game.

Davis, still nursing a left calf strain from his October 29 outing against the Pacers, hasn’t suited up since. What was initially supposed to be a short absence has stretched on due to lingering issues tied to his past Achilles troubles.

With the team’s record slipping and uncertainty growing, fans are understandably anxious. The last thing they want is to see their promising rookie added to the injury list.

The Mavericks entered the season with sky-high hopes, largely thanks to Cooper Flagg. But ten games in, reality has hit hard. Tasked with running the offense as a point guard, a position far from his natural forward role, the 18-year-old is experiencing some major growing pains. He’s averaging 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and three assists but shooting just 40.3% from the floor and 27% from deep.

His transition to the NBA has been bumpy, and it’s showing in Dallas’ 3-7 record, despite ranking fourth in defensive rating. The Mavs’ third-highest pace style is only magnifying the mistakes of a young roster still finding its rhythm.

Flagg’s struggles are understandable for a rookie asked to carry such a heavy load so soon. On 38 pick-and-roll possessions, he’s producing just 0.658 points per possession, landing him in the 20th percentile league-wide. The adjustment to reading NBA defenses and making quick decisions is a steep climb, but Dallas remains patient. 

And if tonight’s game is any indication, that patience might finally be paying off.

Cooper Flagg ties LeBron James with record-breaking rookie performance

The 18-year-old rookie finally looked like the player fans had been waiting for, putting on a show in Dallas’ 116-114 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Flagg erupted for a career-high 26 points, along with nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals, leading the Mavericks in scoring and confidence.

In doing so, he joined elite company, tying LeBron James as the youngest rookie in NBA history (18 years, 324 days) to score 25 or more points in a game.

More importantly, he did it efficiently, going 9-of-15 from the field. After the game, when asked about his breakout performance despite the loss, Flagg kept it short but powerful: “I know who I am and what I’m capable of.” And Monday night, he proved it.

Still, the game slipped through Dallas’ hands late. The Mavericks led by as much as 13 in the fourth quarter, but Giannis Antetokounmpo came alive, scoring 15 of his 30 points in the final frame to spark a Bucks comeback.

Even the Greek Freak admitted, “High ceiling, great player. High IQ, great pace, can get downhill… To be able to handle the ball and make plays for himself and his teammates is incredible.”

Antetokounmpo also highlighted his former coach, now Mavs’ coach in Jason Kidd, to uplift a talent like Flagg, “Obviously has a great coach, that will give him the opportunity to have the ball in his hands, because that’s very important in our league and especially when you’re young—19, 20, 18 years old. To have a coach that’s able to trust you with the ball down the stretch or trust you with the ball throughout the game, it’s a plus, it’s a blessing.”

Kidd’s work with a young Giannis Antetokounmpo stands out as a clear success story, transforming a raw, athletic 19-year-old prospect into a foundational NBA star. This experience directly informs Kidd’s current strategy with Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg.

By applying similar principles- positionless experimentation, emphasis on playmaking, and building through high-pressure development- Kidd is replicating the patience and vision that unlocked Giannis’s potential, now tailored to Flagg’s two-way skill set in a post-Luka Doncic era for Dallas.

Kidd’s track record with Giannis provides a verified roadmap: he took a player with elite physical tools but limited polish and accelerated his growth into a “point forward” archetype.

This isn’t anecdotal- Antetokounmpo’s stats evolved dramatically under Kidd, with scoring jumping from 12.7 points per game (PPG) in 2014-15 to 26.9 PPG by 2017-18, alongside improved assists (from 2.6 to 5.4) and defensive versatility (guarding positions 1-5).

Giannis himself has repeatedly credited Kidd for this leap, calling him “a big part of my success”.

Coming back to the game, with less than 20 seconds left, Ryan Rollins drove in for a layup to give Milwaukee the lead for good. Moments later, Kyle Kuzma sealed the deal with a dunk after stealing an inbound pass meant for Flagg, who lost his footing just outside the arc.

Dallas still had one last shot at a miracle when P.J. Washington Jr. was fouled on a desperate three-point attempt with 1.2 seconds remaining.

He missed the second free throw and tried to intentionally miss the third, but the rebound fell into Bobby Portis Jr.’s hands, ending the night for good. Despite the loss, Flagg shone through.