There’s no doubt Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg will inevitably receive an invitation to the Rising Stars game during next month’s NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
His back-to-back Rookie of the Month awards have all but sealed that honor, but could Flagg become the first rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to make it to the “Big Game?”
Flagg entered the All-Star conversation earlier this week as the only rookie to land on the list of top-20 vote getters for both conferences in the league’s second fan returns. He ranked 16th in the Western Conference with 236,182 votes. That mark is slightly behind the 269,979 votes collected by 13th-place teammate Anthony Davis. The recognition surprised Flagg, who’s re-written several NBA records during his first two months as a professional.
“I feel blessed,” Flagg said. “Obviously, to see that is really cool. I feel really honored and really blessed just to see my name up there.”
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It’s quite rare for a rookie to make the All-Star Game. Only 45 rookies have received the honor in the league’s 80-year history. Just eight have been selected since the draft lottery era began in 1985, with Griffin as the most recent. Prior to that, Yao Ming accomplished the feat in 2003.
Griffin could not play for the LA Clippers during the 2009-10 season because of an injury, but he dominated in his official rookie year and averaged 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the 2010-11 campaign.
By comparison, Flagg is averaging 18.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists through 38 games this season. In December, he grew more comfortable on offense and played his best basketball to date. He totaled 23.5 points per game, which included a career-high 42 points in a loss at Utah on Dec. 15.
“To be on that list speaks volumes to what he’s doing right now,” said Davis, who boasts 10 All-Star appearances. “He’s putting the league on notice that’s he’s going to be a multi-selection All-Star for a long time, whether it’s on the bench or starting.”
Several of the Flagg’s teammates understand how difficult it is to make the All-Star game as a first-year player. Both Davis and 9-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving didn’t earn their first appearance until their sophomore seasons. The same goes for Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who also has 10 All-Star nods on his resume. It wasn’t until Klay Thompson’s fifth season when the veteran sharpshooter began a streak of five straight appearances.
“He will be a perennial All-Star. It’s only a matter of time,” Thompson said.
Kidd guaranteed that Flagg will be in Inglewood, Calif. whether he makes the All-Star Game or not, alluding to his participation in the Rising Stars game, which will be held Feb. 13.
“He’s going to be there no matter what,” Kidd said. “If he participates in the Big Game, that’s because of the work he’s put in. We hope that he does make the Big Game and he gets voted in. He’s playing at a high level for a young player. He’s taking on the best defender. He’s trying to help his team win. He’s been very successful in late game. Hopefully he’s in the Big Game, but he will participate in the Little Game.”
The NBA will use a new format for this season’s All-Star Game with two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players. They will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games. This year, All-Stars are being selected regardless of position.
The league will announce one more round of fan returns before voting concludes on Wednesday at 10:59 p.m. CT. The starters will be revealed on Jan. 19, the same day the Mavericks visit the New York Knicks. The All-Star Game will be held at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. on Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. CT.
Flagg is a lock to play on All-Star Friday night as long as he stays healthy over the next month. However, it’ll take a massive leap in votes to become an All-Star starter. It could be even more difficult for the rookie to earn the recognition from the NBA’s head coaches, who vote for All-Star reserves.
But what about All-Star Saturday night? The rookie has an impressive highlight reel full of dunks that could qualify for entry into the annual Slam Dunk Contest. Flagg has 38 dunks this season, including several posterizing finishes.
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Flagg was noncommittal when asked about the possibility, but didn’t rule it out.
“See, I don’t know if I can really compete,” Flagg said Thursday in Salt Lake City. “I’m more of an in-game dunker so never say never, but I don’t know if I can really compete.”
Flagg’s latest return to Utah nearly resulted in his first triple-double, but it was a consequential game for the Mavericks because Davis suffered ligament damage in his left hand, which will sideline him indefinitely.
Since Dec. 29, Flagg’s production has taken a dip with averages of 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists on 38.7% shooting with 3.0 turnovers per in the Mavericks’ last six games. He scored just 11 points and committed five turnovers in Saturday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Kidd recently admitted Flagg needs to embrace the infamous Rookie Wall to ultimately overcome it.
Whether Flagg earns his first All-Star nod or not, the Mavericks will need him to play like one while Davis is sidelined.
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