Stephen A. Smith Drops Jaws With Prediction After Mavericks Draft Cooper Flagg

Smith's take sounds like hyperbole, and that isn't outside the realm of possibility for him as an analyst or in the context of any analyst on a draft night, which is really all about hope. 

That said, Smith's declaration does what good sports takes should: it sparks discussion and debate. 

The Mavericks snuck into the play-in tournament in the Western Conference last season but failed to make the playoffs after trading superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis ahead of the February deadline. Davis suffered an injury during his first game in Dallas that knocked him out for several weeks, while point guard Kyrie Irving tore his ACL a little later down the line. 

Irving opted out of the final year of his contract and re-signed with the Mavericks this week. It is unclear when he might return healthy, though there is a reasonable chance that timeline could fall somewhere in the second half of next season. 

Davis has plenty of time to get healthy heading into next year, while third-year big man Dereck Lively II -- a lottery pick in 2023 -- should also be back at full strength to start the 2025-26 campaign. 

The Mavericks have size and defense all across the floor, and with a healthy Irving running the show, the team should be competitive -- even in a difficult West. 

Whether they can actually threaten the Thunder remains to be seen, but Dallas will certainly be an interesting group to watch play and develop together throughout the course of the upcoming season -- especially after adding Flagg.