Cooper Flagg has already shown Dallas that he can fill a box score. Tuesday’s Mavericks practice offered a more specific challenge for the season ahead: make the three-point shot a normal part of his offensive workload, rather than an occasional bonus when the defense loses track of him.
That is a sensible next checkpoint for a player whose first NBA season included 70 appearances, with averages of 4.5 assists alongside 21.0 points and 6.7 rebounds. Flagg also won Rookie of the Year, so the question is no longer whether he belongs. It is how much more difficult he can make himself to defend by tightening one particular part of his offensive game.
Flagg converted 29.5% of his three-point attempts last season. That figure sits beside, rather than erases, his contributions rebounding and passing. It does give opponents a reason to test him outside the arc. His Tuesday assessment of the offseason centered on repetition, confidence and becoming more comfortable taking the attempts a defense presents. That is a practical assignment, not a request for a new identity.
The shot must become routine enough that an open look does not trigger a second thought. The miss is survivable. The hesitation is more expensive, because it allows the defense to reset and can turn a promising possession into a difficult one.
Friday’s exhibition against Atlanta showed why Dallas can give Flagg room to work through that process. He supplied 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in 30 minutes, but the Mavericks lost 135-111. The individual production was substantial; it simply did not answer every question about the offense around it.
That Atlanta line also explains why the outside shot matters. Flagg’s Atlanta performance included substantial rebounding and passing alongside defensive contributions. If a defender can sag away from him beyond the arc, those other strengths become easier to crowd. A respectable three-point threat would stretch the coverage without requiring him to become a volume shooter.
Kyrie Irving’s return adds another layer to the assignment. Irving has played twice in the preseason after returning from the left ACL injury that sidelined him following March 3, 2025. Flagg’s Tuesday comments pointed to the work of learning how to play alongside Irving, create advantages together and use the attention Irving draws.
That partnership may produce cleaner chances, but it cannot make the finish automatic. Irving can bend a defense; Flagg still has to be prepared when the ball reaches him.
Dallas is also emphasizing the small team habits that can create those chances: entering actions faster, securing the initial catch cleanly, getting the ball out promptly and advancing it by pass. Those are not a special package reserved for Flagg. They do, however, give him clearer decisions. Catch ready, shoot when the defense concedes the attempt, or move it before the window disappears.
