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Draymond Green Predicts Cooper Flagg to Lose Rookie of the Year

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 9:11 AM ET

Cooper Flagg is off to a rather underwhelming start to his NBA career. The Dallas Mavericks rookie entered the 2025-26 campaign as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, but as the season progresses, other rookies continue to outshine him.

Flagg's rough start has a lot to do with his position, as the Mavericks made him their starting point guard instead of his natural forward position. In his season debut, he had 10 points and 10 rebounds but failed to register an assist despite being the playmaker. He also shot 4-of-13 from the field.

Through five games so far, Flagg has averaged just 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while shooting 41% from the field and 26.7% from deep.

While Flagg remains the odds-on favorite to win the top rookie award for 2025-26, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green doesn't see him emerging victorious at all.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) looks on during a game against the LA Clippers. Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

In the latest episode of his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show," the Warriors forward picked Philadelphia 76ers rookie V.J. Edgecombe to win Rookie of the Year. Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is off to a brilliant start with Philly, averaging 22.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals.

According to Green, the fact that the Mavericks haven't figured out Flagg's role would be the cause of his downfall in the race.

"First and foremost, at Rookie of the Year, I am going to roll with V.J. Edgecombe," Green said as he made his prediction for the major individual awards this season. "I think V.J. is gonna have every opportunity to be successful. I think he is NBA-ready right now. They have his role figured out.

"I think, for instance, Cooper Flagg, they're still trying to figure out, like, 'Is he going to play point guard? What position he's going to play? What's the lineup look around him?' V.J. Edgecombe's role is figured out, and he's cut out for it."

It's still early in the season and Flagg still has time to make up ground to contend for Rookie of the Year. To Green's point, however, it will be hard for him to make a significant contribution if the Mavericks keep experimenting with his role.

Not to mention, Edgecombe and the other rookies in the class are getting plenty of opportunities to impress. While Flagg has shown flashes of brilliance, he needs more consistency if he wants to stay ahead in the rookie race.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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