Mavericks Teammate Reveals Cooper Flagg Has Been Under ‘A Lot Of Pressure’

There’s no doubt on anyone’s mind that Cooper Flagg‘s upcoming rookie campaign will be watched through a microscope, as no other player will be scrutinized like him from his 2025 draft class. This has been pretty much the same story for most of the league’s No. 1 overall picks. 

Nevertheless, this doesn’t come without consequences, as one of the player’s teammates in Dallas has acknowledged that Cooper has been under a lot of pressure lately. “Cooper’s great man, you know, there’s a lot of pressure (on him) being the No. 1 pick,” Naji Marshall said over the weekend.

The Mavericks sharpshooter then added: “Just going out there and playing his natural game. (I) think he got the jitters out in his second game he came out with 30 (points). Just another reason to look forward to the season. I’m excited to play with Cooper and look forward to his progression.”

One of the downsides to Flagg’s arrival in Texas, is how Nani’s minutes will surely drop this upcoming campaign. The 27-year-old averaged 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest during his first season with the team, starting in 31 games and shooting at a career-best 50.8% from the field.

After Cooper’s first two performances in Las Vegas’ Summer League, the team decided to pull him out so he could get some rest this offseason. “I think I’ve been solid. I’m exhausted,” the young star told the press last week. “I’m not used to bringing the ball up like that.”

“Had somebody on my hip every time I brought the ball up the court 94 feet. I think I did a solid job of bringing it up against pressure and setting up different actions,” the 18-year-old said after scoring 31 points in his second start for the club. 

The Mavericks used Flagg as a point guard during Summer League action, and truthfully the rising superstar looked comfortable being his squad’s primary ball-handler. His scoring outburst was the most by a No. 1 pick since John Wall did so back in 2010.