Dallas Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg, not even 20 years old yet, is already on an absolute rocket trajectory to become one of the league's top players when he hits his prime. This isn't just hype, either, because Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey believes Flagg will be the *sixth-best player* in the NBA just four years from now. Talk about a future problem for the rest of the league.
Flagg's Rookie Season Jump Was Wild
This kid's rookie year already gave us a peek at his potential dominance. In his first 19 NBA appearances, Flagg put up a solid 15.7 points per game, though his three-point shooting was at 26.4 percent. But get this: for the *rest* of that campaign, he exploded! He bumped his scoring to 23.0 points and his three-point shot climbed to 30.8 percent. Bailey also pointed out that Flagg's assist numbers saw similar upticks. You could literally watch the game and see things clicking for him every time he stepped on the court. It was that obvious.The Future Is Bright, and Scary for Opponents
Bailey's vision for Flagg isn't just based on those stats, it's about the bigger picture. He believes Flagg's three-point shot is absolutely "bound to come along" even further, and his playmaking will keep getting better, too. Plus, Flagg's competitiveness is off the charts. Imagine thinking you'll be the sixth-best player in the league; for Flagg, that's just fuel to push even harder to be number one. The only players ranked ahead of him by Bailey were absolute beasts: Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Victor Wembanyama. That's some serious company. The Mavericks have a clear vision, and Flagg is front and center in it. It's gonna be super interesting to see how he operates under new head coach Dusty May. With a tailor-made plan for Flagg over the next couple of years, this kid is set to be a major headache for every other team in the NBA. The Mavs are building around him, and it's easy to see why.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.