Cooper Flagg’s 35-point outing brings him toe-to-toe with former Duke teammate in Rookie of the Year race

A day after becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record 10 assists in a loss to the Lakers, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg made some more history in a 114-100 win against the Clippers Saturday night. Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to record at least 35 points. Flagg did so at 18 years and 343 days, which is five days faster than when LeBron James did it in his rookie season.

Flagg also did it more efficiently than James did, going 13 of 22 from the floor (59.1%), while adding eight rebounds and two assists. He was aggressive from the opening tip, racking up 21 of his 35 points in the first half.

Things came easy for Flagg in the first half, as James Harden’s level of defense was minimal at best, and non-existent on most occasions. The Clippers orange-red jerseys were actually quite fitting for the occasion, as their defense looked like traffic cones out there as Flagg knifed his way to the iron for countless layups with minimal rim pressure.

Despite the poor defensive display from the Clippers, who rank 26th on that end of the floor and have now lost four consecutive games, it was an impressive feat from the rookie. You could tell Flagg looks far more comfortable on the floor, and he’s been more assertive in looking for his own shot, even when the game is on the line.

It was Flagg who made a pull-up, mid-range jumper with under two minutes to go to put the Mavericks back out in front against the Clippers. He once again answered the call with 45 seconds to go, when he attacked the rim out of a pick-and-roll and took it straight at Clippers big man Ivica Zubac. Flagg got the foul call and nearly got the shot to fall after the whistle blew, but made sure to convert both free throws to put the Mavericks up by four points.

It felt like Flagg’s first signature win of his career, and an inflection point of his rookie season that should earn him more attention for Rookie of the Year. If you were to take a poll right now, many would vote Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel for the award. He’s leading all rookies in scoring (18.4), is averaging 5.7 rebounds and three assists, while shooting incredibly efficiently, too (47% FG, 41.3% 3FG). But over the last five games, Flagg has surpassed Knueppel’s production. He’s averaging over 20 points on shooting 48.1%, while tacking on 7.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists during the span.

In the last five games, we’re seeing a version of Flagg everyone expected to get from the opening tip of the season. But a failed point guard experiment and clunky lineup rotations made it seem as though the Mavericks weren’t putting Flagg in the best position to succeed. However, since benching D’Angelo Russell in favor of Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard as the point guard duo, and better floor spacing created by the absence of Anthony Davis, the former Duke phenom has flourished.

His averages are up across the board, and while his 3-point shooting is suffering, he’s settling for fewer 3s and instead wrecking havoc inside the arc. His 3-point shot was always going to be a work in progress, but what’s important is he’s been more efficient from everywhere else recently.

Cooper Flagg’s stats

It’s a small sample size, and integrating Davis back into the starting lineup will be an interesting thing to watch, but if Flagg maintains this level of play from the past five games, he’ll have certainly done enough to seriously challenge his former Duke teammate for Rookie of the Year.

Knueppel’s still putting up massive numbers, but he’ll also have to make some adjustments of his own now that Brandon Miller is back healthy in Charlotte’s starting lineup. Between LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Miller there’s a ton of scoring coming from that trio that Knueppel’s production might wane over the course of the season. The main reason he’s had so much opportunity is because of early-season injuries to both Ball and Miller, but if those two can remain healthy, Knueppel’s numbers may dip.

Either way though, Flagg’s recent scoring outburst felt like an “I’ve arrived” moment. He started the season slow, and with a stacked rookie class he didn’t even crack the top 3 of our Rookie Rankings through the first month of the season. 

Now, though, he’s risen up the ranks. With how things have been going lately, it feels like this Rookie of the Year race might come down to the wire between two former Duke teammates.