By the numbers: What Cooper Flagg is doing isn’t normal

After an impressive Rookie of the Year campaign in the 2025-2026 season, Cooper Flagg entered this year looking to polish his offensive game and bring the Dallas Mavericks back to relevance. So far, he’s exceeded expectations in both.

Through 11 games, the Mavericks are 7-4 and have faced one of the league’s tougher schedules. Flagg has played in 10 of those games and is averaging 25.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. He’s 19 years old. He joins a short list of only Luka Doncic and LeBron James as one of the youngest players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. At 20 years old, Doncic averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game, while James, at 20, averaged 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.

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What’s been most impressive about his leap is Flagg’s shooting. He’s knocking down 50.0% of his shots, on 61.2% true shooting. He’s also been excellent at the free-throw line, shooting 90.3% there. Put those numbers together, and you get a player whose scoring efficiency is looking much more advanced than you might expect from a 19-year-old. Let’s take a deeper dive into the numbers.

He’s getting into the paint

Flagg has attempted 42 shots at the rim (in the restricted area), making 28 of them for 66.7%. That’s roughly 22% of his total attempts. It’s not an enormous portion of his shot diet, but he can get there whenever he wants. Flagg often uses his size and athleticism to his advantage. At 6-foot-9, he can finish with ease over smaller defenders but also has the finesse to finish around larger ones. That combination makes his drives difficult to contain. Unlike some young perimeter players who settle for difficult jumpers when their initial attack gets cut off, Flagg has multiple ways he can beat you off the dribble.

Flagg has taken 47 shots in the portion of the paint outside of the restricted area, the most of any zone on the floor. He’s made 27 of them, giving him a 57.4% shooting percentage. That’s roughly 26% of all his field-goal attempts. The non-restricted-area paint has become something of a sweet spot for…

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Publish date : 2026-11-11 19:39:00

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