Mavericks' Cooper Flagg is a near-lock for Rookie of the Year

Flagg leads Rookie of the Year candidates

"Cooper Flagg's Rookie of the Year case mirrors the one that got him drafted first overall: It's theoretically possible he won't be the absolute best player on his team (or in his class), but his versatility, game-readiness, capacity to improve and competitive tenacity make it hard to see how he could fail," Hughes wrote.

"That high-floor argument probably sells Flagg's ceiling short. It's as if his ability to do everything very well—shoot, defend, make plays on and off the ball—makes evaluators leap to the conclusion that he won't be outright great at anything.

"Considering how much better he got at Duke, specifically as a shooter and on-ball threat, it feels like a mistake to suggest he can't continue making strides in virtually every area."

Flagg has room for improvement and he will need to get better for the Mavs, but all indiciations point to that being a likelihood.

It may be a disappointment if Flagg falls short of the award, but that shouldn't take away from the other positives that he brings to the Mavs.

Flagg will make his Mavs debut in the Las Vegas Summer League on Thursday against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.