What is fueling Mavericks' Cooper Flagg's recent scoring breakthrough?

Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg is realizing he could stand to be a little more selfish on the offensive end. 

On Monday night, Flagg scored 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting in a 131-121 road upset over the Denver Nuggets, led by star center Nikola Jokic. It marked the second straight game in which the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft logged 24 points or more. In a 114-110 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 29, he had a season-high 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting.

Flagg's scoring outbursts have helped the Mavericks (7-15) win consecutive games for the first time this season. That should show the former Duke star why he must keep taking the initiative offensively. 

How Cooper Flagg being more aggressive benefits Mavericks

Flagg has been playing some point guard for the Mavericks, making him the offense's primary distributor. As a result, he has sometimes passed on scoring opportunities. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has reminded the rookie he shouldn't sacrifice these. 

"Being aggressive right now is obviously right for me, and that's what coach has stressed to me," Flagg said following the win over the Clippers. "I've got to be aggressive, and we'll live with some of the mistakes, but you have to be aggressive and trust all the work. My teammates are extremely confident in me, and I feel that. And when they're confident in me, it enables me to just be free up there." 

When Flagg plays aggressively, the Mavericks are a much better offensive team. Over its past two games, Dallas has averaged 122.5 points per game, above the league average. Before Tuesday's slate of games, the team ranked 28th in the league in scoring (111.1 PPG). 

It could also help Flagg earn more awards. On Tuesday, he was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November.