Nothing comes easy when you're deemed a generational talent. Cooper Flagg will have a buffet on his plate, especially in a brutal Western Conference.
The Dallas Mavericks will be without ball-handling wizard Kyrie Irving for a portion of next season. When he eventually returns, the Mavs can trot out a pretty high-level lineup to try and compete, but the pressure will be on Flagg to deliver as a key contributor immediately —especially on the defensive end.
This group has a bit of everything. But the Western Conference isn't getting any easier, and now there's plenty of talk of Giannis Antetokounmpo heading West as well.
Cooper Flagg will be tasked with being a defensive stopper
Flagg has been touted as a do-it-all prospect with few flaws. His defensive motor will translate. While he could guard virtually any position in his standalone year at Duke, can Flagg stick the elite primary ball handlers on the next level?
The Kyrie, Flagg, PJ, AD and Livley lineup has Wreck-It Ralph size and pesky defenders outside of Irving. Irving hasn't been tasked with guarding elite on-ball players since he was in Cleveland pre-LeBron.
Flagg's versatility will be tested with this group. He'll see his name on the whiteboard, matching up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham and the other tier one stars. We'll get a clearer picture of his NBA defensive chops immediately because the point of attack will start with him.
We'll quickly see if Flagg excels at lateral quickness and reaction time, which are key factors in holding one's own on the perimeter. Flagg was a sicko getting back into plays after getting beat in college. There's a pathway for him to do the same in the league, granted, the college and NBA pools of talent are night and day.
Cooper Flagg might be a hub offensively off the bat
While point of attack defense will be his calling in that lineup, Flagg can do damage offensively. Kyrie and AD will operate as the hubs, PJ will space out in the corner, and Lively will be parked in the paint like a traditional big anticipating lobs.
Flagg's ability to cut and move without the ball will be crucial in this lineup. He'll thrive offensively, turning defense into offense if his 2.8 steal percentage translates to the league. Flagg shot 39 percent from deep, but I don't view him as a 3-and-D type spacer. He'll need some of that juice in this lineup, and his shooting stroke in college could cause one to believe he can hit catch-and-shoot jumpers at the next level with work and dedication.
The Mavericks expect big things from Flagg. He is the Luka Dončić predecessor — like it or not. This Mavs team is ready to compete now. He's not walking into a normal No. 1 pick scenario where he'll have time and reps to work on his craft in-game as much as Anthony Edwards or Cade Cunningham did years ago. Flagg is walking into a win-now situation. We'll see if he's built for it.