Cooper Flagg has already made his mark as one of basketball’s most exciting young prospects, but according to veteran NBA analyst Marc Spears, the league isn’t doing enough to let the world know it.
The 18-year-old Dallas Mavericks rookie, fresh off a dominant season at Duke and the No. 1 overall pick in June’s draft, made his preseason debut Monday night and Spears is wondering why there isn’t more buzz around him.
During ESPN’s NBA Today, Spears voiced his frustration at the lack of hype surrounding the teenage phenom.
“Why is it so quiet about this guy?” Spears asked. “Where is the choo choo, the Cooper Flagg train. I don’t get it. NBA, what are you doing? Why aren’t you promoting this guy?”
Spears recounted watching Flagg in Las Vegas last summer, when the forward practiced with a group of NBA players that included Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy, and Jalen Suggs.
“One of the coaches told me he’s the best player on the roster,” Spears said. “I mean, he was 17 years old at the time. He doesn’t even turn 19 until around Christmas. Get on the train, this dude is going to be a star. He should be in all the promotions, I don’t see him.”
Before wrapping up his comments, Spears left viewers with a final message: “Don’t sleep on this kid.”
A new face of the Mavericks’ future
Flagg‘s journey to Dallas has been nothing short of spectacular. In his lone season at Duke, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 19.2 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
His performance earned him a sweep of the nation’s top honors, including the AP Player of the Year, the Naismith Award, and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year.
By the time the draft arrived in June, there was little doubt that the Maine native would go first overall.
For a player with such pedigree, Spears‘ observation about the NBA’s quiet marketing push feels justified. The league has historically celebrated top picks, from LeBron James to Zion Williamson – with high-profile campaigns, interviews, and preseason features.
Yet Flagg‘s introduction to the professional stage has been surprisingly understated, despite his potential to become the next marquee face of the Mavericks franchise.
In his preseason debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Flagg looked comfortable on the floor, scoring 10 points in just 14 minutes while shooting 3-for-6 from the field.
He connected on two of his three attempts from three-point range, flashing the versatility that made him so effective in college.
His debut didn’t dominate the headlines the way some rookies’ have, but for those who watched closely, it confirmed the polish and poise that have defined his game since high school.
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