Cooper Flagg can join exclusive club if Mavericks exceed expectations
With the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg from Duke University. This came months after the disastrous Luka Dončić trade that sent the Mavericks superstar to the Los Angeles Lakers, and possibly by chance, Dallas won the draft lottery. Now, they have a player who could be truly dynamic and change the game for the better.
If the Mavericks are a playoff contender and Flagg performs up to par, similarly to how he did when playing for Duke, then it is always possible that Flagg could make some history. Not often do NBA rookies make it to the All-Star Game in February in their first season. But if Flagg does that, he’ll make some history.
Could Cooper Flagg make NBA rookie history?
These days, it is quite uncommon for NBA rookies to actually make it to the All-Star Game. It didn’t happen very frequently in the early days of the NBA. But back in the 1980s, it was quite common. Players such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isaiah Thomas, Ralph Sampson, Patrick Ewing and Bill Cartwright accomplished the feat. But the numbers went back down the following decade.
Only five rookies made it to the All-Star game, those being David Robertson, Dikembe Mutombo, Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill and Tim Duncan. In fact, since the turn of the century, only Yao Ming and Blake Griffin were All-Stars as rookies. So, if Flagg does indeed make it to the All-Star Game this year, he would be the first since 2011.
Flagg certainly has the talent to get the job done and become an All-Star in his first season. But given the recent history of rookies making it, it is far from a guarantee, and the odds may be stacked against him, especially since he is only 18 years old.
It isn’t impossible, though. It has happened before, but the recent trends don’t exactly bode well for Flagg’s All-Star case. Still, we’ll have to wait and see how the season plays out. Flagg could join some exclusive company if he does indeed make the All-Star roster.
If the Mavericks are contenders this year, that would certainly boost his case, as he’ll be the centerpiece of their roster this season.
Opening Night takes place next month, and soon, Flagg will have the chance to make his NBA debut and take the league by storm.
