Cooper Flagg was one of the most highly anticipated rookies in some time, being boasted as one of the more complete players taken No. 1 overall in decades.

Despite that, Dallas hasn’t put him in phenomenal position to begin his career, and he’s seen a slower scoring start than many anticipated. 

Through six games, Flagg is scoring 13.8 points per game, tacking on 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. The counting stats alone are fine, potentially even what many expected this early in his career, but his efficiency is where things take a dive.

Flagg is shooting just 37% overall and 29% from beyond the arc — a far cry from his hyper-efficient 48-38-84 line in his lone season with the Duke Blue Devils. Few expected him to be a fiery 3-point shooter early, but even fewer expected his rough percentage from inside the arc.

This again reared its head on Saturday evening, when Flagg and the Mavericks faced off against a stingy Pistons squad. The top pick was able to see a fine 16 point — with eight rebounds, four assists and a steal tacked on — though his efficiency was again poor.

Cooper is cash from beyond the arc 👌

Flagg’s 1st bucket in his 1st NBA Global Game! pic.twitter.com/WEqJa7ZR0g

— NBA (@NBA) November 2, 2025

Flagg shot just 3-for-14 from the floor, hitting two of his six 3-point attempts and all eight of his free throws. If Mavericks fans can take solace in any one thing thus far, it’s that he’s a perfect 21-for-21 from the charity stripe so far.

Flagg’s inefficiency isn’t solely his fault, or even primarily his fault. The Mavericks offer some of the worst guard depth in the entire league, often playing Flagg as their primary play-maker, opposed to his natural position at the four.

He’s been unable to take his recent matchups off the dribble, and a lack of floor general hasn’t allowed him to get out in transition much. That, coupled with the fact he’s seen several of the league’s best rim protecters in his first handful of games, have led to the less-than-sparkling scoring start.

Still, there’s little doubt Flagg will figure things out sooner rather than later. He’s one of the higher-feel, high-IQ players to enter the league in some time, and it’s only a matter of time before he finds his groove at all three levels.

The Mavericks could certainly put him in better position to do so, though he might have to figure things out on his own.