Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on in the first quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Shaquille O'Neal believes Mavericks' Cooper Flagg is above the usual rookie curve

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 6:44 PM ET

It didn't take long for Cooper Flagg to establish himself in the NBA Summer League. He had a lackluster first game but a dominant second, scoring 31 points on 10/20 shooting against the San Antonio Spurs and second overall pick Dylan Harper. That was enough for the Mavs, and they pulled him for the remainder of the Summer League.

Flagg was the consensus top prospect in the year's NBA Draft, and was seen by many evaluators as the best American prospect since Anthony Davis in 2012. So when the Mavericks magically won the lottery to take him first overall, it was obvious they had a special opportunity.

NBA Hall of Famer and analyst Shaquille O'Neal has spoken about Flagg a few times recently, doing so again this week, and he seems impressed by the rising star.

"In the highlights, he looks phenomenal," says O'Neal in an interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG, speaking about Flagg. "You must realize he's an 18-year-old kid. You can't put too much pressure on him. From my experience, you get two years before people really start staying it's time to win, but I think he's way above that 18-year-old curve."

Luckily for Flagg, he won't be asked to carry the team right away, something Flagg feels blessed about. He'll be able to learn from and lean on Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving (once he returns to the floor from injury), and Klay Thompson, while having a Hall of Fame point guard as his head coach in Jason Kidd. That's an incredible situation for Flagg to step into, even if the team has winning expectations from day one.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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