Cooper Flagg played in the 41st game of his rookie season on Monday against the New York Knicks. I recently compared Flagg’s first 41 games to those of the last ten number one overall picks, and figured why stop there. How does Flagg’s first half-season stack up against Luka Doncic’s?
Doncic wasn’t the number one overall pick in 2018, but it’s been obvious for a while that he should have been. It’s incredible to think that not only DeAndre Ayton, but Marvin Bagley Jr., and (technically) Trae Young were selected ahead of Doncic.
The Dallas Mavericks are hoping Flagg’s career mirrors that of Doncic’s, if not better. The only thing we have to compare right now, though, are the two young stars’ first 41 games, so let’s take a look at how they look next to each other.
Luka Doncic
43% FG, 37% 3P, 20/6.7/5, 1.1 steals, .3 blocks
Totals: 822 points, 275 rebounds, 207 assists, 46 steals, 11 blocks, 98 3P made
Doncic’s highest scoring game in the first half of his rookie season came against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 28th, 2018. But his best game was probably a week earlier, on December 20th, against the Los Angeles Clippers. Doncic put up 32 points, four rebounds, five assists, and four steals in that game.
Meanwhile, Flagg’s highest scoring game in the first half of his rookie season is also his best game. On December 15th, 2025 against the Utah Jazz, Flagg notched 42 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and one steal. Here’s what Flagg’s first 41 games looks like:
Cooper Flagg
48% FG, 29% 3P, 18.8/6.3/4.1, 1.3 steals, .8 blocks
Totals: 770 points, 257 rebounds, 170 assists, 52 steals, 32 blocks, 40 3PM
Flagg measures up to Doncic’s first 41 games pretty well! That’s encouraging for everyone rooting for Flagg to live up to that number one overall pick label.
Each rookie enters a completely different situation when they’re drafted. Some join well-run, competitive teams with a clearly defined role. Some enter rebuilds that are complete tear-downs. Others are dropped into absolute messes.
Doncic came into a more stable situation. His first game he started alongside veterans Wes Matthews and DeAndre Jordan, with J.J. Barea and Devin Harris coming off the bench. Dirk Nowitzki began the year injured and wouldn’t join the lineup until 27 games into the season, but he was there to guide Doncic as he adapted to the NBA.
That’s not to say everything was perfect for Doncic as he navigated those first 41 games. There were some issues with veterans freezing him out during games, and he had issues with head coach Rick Carlisle. But it went about as well as you could hope for an introduction to the NBA.
Flagg has dealt with a situation that’s much more murky, at least off the court. The Mavericks came into the season with a poorly constructed roster. With a lack of established point guards to get the talent-laden front court the ball, the likelihood of Dallas struggling was high. That alone was going to make things rough on Flagg.
Head coach Jason Kidd resorted to playing Flagg at point guard early in the season, and it didn’t go well. Thankfully that experiment was abandoned and the Mavericks’ rookie was moved to a more natural position at forward. Kidd found a guard rotation of Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard that’s been serviceable, and Flagg has benefitted greatly.
Flagg also joined a franchise in the midst of a front office mess. Just 11 games into Flagg’s rookie season, Nico Harrison was rightfully fired for trading one of the top five players in the NBA for one of the most injured in Anthony Davis. Since joining the Mavericks, Davis hasn’t played more than five consecutive games.
The sporadic availability of Davis, coupled with the tinkering Kidd has had to do with the lineup haven’t made things easy on the court for Flagg. Still, he’s pushed through and put up numbers that are comparable to Doncic and some of the best number one overall draft picks of the last decade. There’s still a whole second half of the season to play, but the Mavericks and their fans should feel great about the trajectory he’s on so early in his career.
