Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg delivered the best performance of his young career on Friday night but his postgame focus shifted away from his 51-point explosion and toward defending his head coach.
In the first season of the post-Luka Doncic era, Flagg has quickly become the centerpiece of the franchise. His latest outing only proved why.
With Dallas trailing, Flagg drove to the rim and appeared to be hit on the arm. Officials swallowed the whistle, and Kidd immediately erupted from the sideline.
After the game, Flagg made it clear he supported his coach’s reaction.
“I think it was warranted,” Flagg said. “I talked to Bane after the play he told me he was intentionally trying to foul me. How they didn’t see that…either they didn’t have the right angle or they just weren’t paying attention.”
Flagg’s comments added fuel to the controversy, especially with Desmond Bane reportedly admitting the foul.
Despite the loss, Flagg’s dominance once again led Kidd to publicly campaign for him as the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.
“He should be Rookie of the Year,” Kidd said. “He’s in rare air with the GOAT when you look at what he’s already doing as a rookie.”
Flagg is averaging 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while carrying a massive workload for a rebuilding Mavericks team.
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