What can Cooper Flagg do for a Rookie of the Year encore?
Cooper Flagg takes a break during a game of 2-on-2 with his brothers and a camper at the Flagg Brothers Basketball Procamp on Saturday at the University of Maine Field House in Orono. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
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ORONO — The NBA regular season came to an end in April, and the members of Cooper Flagg’s inner circle told him to take a break, get some rest, and decompress after the grind of his first pro season.
“It was important for his mind to unplug for a little while,” said his trainer, Matt MacKenzie.
They knew, though, that the off period wouldn’t last long. Two weeks later, after having put together a Rookie of the Year season, the Newport native was back on the court, working on the encore.
“He probably didn’t unplug for as long as maybe he should have,” MacKenzie said. “But that’s OK. He’s just a natural-born worker. He’s somebody that just can’t stay out of the gym.”
As the next NBA season approaches, one of the most prominent questions is how will Flagg build on a rookie year in which he established himself as an emerging superstar. After being taken first overall in the draft, he won the Rookie of the Year award, finishing with averages of 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
This offseason, his celebrity status has continued to rise. In July, he and his family competed on an episode of “Celebrity Family Feud.” Earlier this week, a rookie card of his was the subject of a frenzied search in the collecting community, with a potential value nearing $5 million.
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As he prepares for his second season, however, the picture for Flagg has changed.
As a rookie, he was in what was widely regarded as a dream situation, with an opportunity to acclimate to the sport’s highest level while learning from superstars Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
Newport native Cooper Flagg won the NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 70 games. (Gareth Patterson/Associated Press)
Irving, though, missed the entire season because of a torn ACL, and Davis also dealt with injuries and played in only 20 games before the was traded to the Washington Wizards. Flagg ended up being the leading scorer for a team that won only 26 games.
Although Irving is expected to be ready for the start of the upcoming season, Flagg is now the driving force in Dallas.
“I’m excited. It’s a new beginning for us, new start for 82 games, so I’m just looking forward to showing improvement,” Flagg said. “It’s really exciting going into this new year with a fresh slate, and showing we improved and got better.”
On Saturday, Flagg, his twin brother, Ace and older brother Hunter, hosted their annual August kids camp and spoke about how they’re approaching the upcoming season after encouraging debuts. While Cooper got a taste of NBA life, Ace was a freshman at the University of Maine.
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“It’s a big difference, obviously, having a year under my belt,” Cooper said. “I’m excited, looking forward to the future, and excited to get this year going.”
Ace, a forward, played in all 32 games as a freshman, starting 11. He was third on the team in rebounds (4.1 per game) while averaging 6.7 points.
“I just feel very well-prepared,” he said. “You kind of get a feel for everything, so I’m excited to get back to the season and keep working. … One of the biggest things is being more of a leader on the court, that’s a big difference from last year. (Being) able to talk to my teammates a lot more, better communication, things like that.”
Cooper, front, and Ace Flagg enter the gym for the Flagg Brothers Basketball Procamp Saturday in Orono. Cooper is heading into his second season with the Dallas Mavericks, while Ace is entering his sophomore season with the Black Bears. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
Both players will have the benefit of knowing what to expect, which for Cooper means nightly tests against the best players in the world.
Last year, he could only guess what that challenge would be like. Now, he’s seen it, and he even kept a journal during the season of observations from his first year and memos to himself on things to improve for his second.
“Certainly, he’s feeling confident in his ability to play at a high level in this league, so this offseason has really just been about fine-tuning,” MacKenzie said. “He can be a little more intentional (now) and pick those different little areas he can be even better at.”
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People around the league didn’t see much that needed to be altered.
“A lot of the parts of his game surprised me,” ESPN analyst and former NBA player Danny Green said. “In high school when I watched him, he was a defensive player. I didn’t see the offensive skill set. … I didn’t see pick-and-roll breakdowns, or mid-post. He’s working the game, and they’ve got his handle right and making some 1-on-1 iso moves.
“I don’t think he needs that much more. I just think he needs a consistent 3-point shot and mid-range. That’ll help him.”
Green said the Mavericks’ disappointing season may have helped Flagg develop faster.
“He had to carry the team, night in and night out,” he said. “He was able to play point guard and grow and show off his tools and get into his bag more.”
It’s a skills package that impressed new Mavericks coach Dusty May, who took over after leading the University of Michigan to a national championship, and who was in attendance at the camp Saturday.
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“He has a year under his belt. Obviously, the rookie year is tough for all NBA players,” May said. “We expect him to be even better next year, to impact winning even more, and he’s the type of guy that you want to build a franchise around because of his daily habits, his competitive spirit, and also, he’s one of the guys.”
MacKenzie said one focal point has been weightlifting, with an emphasis on building the muscle necessary to hold up against both the league’s big bodies and its arduous schedule, while keeping the mobility and quickness that has made him a difficult matchup.
“(The schedule) was eye-opening for him,” MacKenzie said. “Until you actually go through it, it’s very difficult to just hear versus actually having to experience.”
A second point of emphasis has been on fine-tuning Flagg’s go-to moves, and building a bank of them that he can reliably go to in tight and pressure moments.
“Instead of having 100 moves he has to sort through,” MacKenzie said, “it’s more like, in these different situations, this is the move you know you want to get to. … You look at all the greats, and you can point to a signature move or a signature location on the floor that those players like to get to.”
The hope in Dallas is that Flagg will be one of those greats. He’s ready for that challenge.
“He wants to be that type of player,” MacKenzie said. “He wants to have the responsibility. It’s something that he has been built to do.”
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Drew Bonifant covers sports for the Press Herald, with beats in high school football, basketball and baseball. He was previously part of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel sports team. A New Hampshire. More by Drew Bonifant
