The Dallas Mavericks’ rebuild year has been a bumpy ride, but there have been some silver linings. Like a teenager learning to drive, Cooper Flagg has had his fair share of turnovers, but he’s also shown flashes of brilliance. In the Mavs’ recent games, fans got to see both the highs and lows of Flagg’s development.

“The tank tolls for thee.” - cow

In the game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Mavs struggled to find their rhythm. Despite some fans joking that it would be a “tough game to tank,” the team managed to come out on top. But it wasn’t pretty. As Scott41theMavs noted, “This will be a very tough game to tank, but on the second night of a back to back on the road, I have faith in our boys in blue to get the job done.”

Fast forward to the game against the Golden State Warriors, and things got interesting. The Mavs pushed the Dubs to the limit, with Cooper Flagg showing off his skills. However, as Chicagojk pointed out, Flagg and Marshall combined for 15 turnovers, which probably cost them the game.

“He played really well until the Dubs starting blitzing him late in the game. He need to work on his handle in the summer if he’s going to handle the ball so much on this level.” - cow

Despite the turnovers, Flagg’s growth has been exciting to watch. As michaeltex noted, “Coop looked good at times and like a rookie at other times. Moody was a particular pest and I could see Coop getting a little frustrated.”

In another game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Mavs came up short, but fans were still optimistic about Flagg’s chances. As Chicagojk said:

“Two things: Late in the game cooper passed up a good look at a three and then ruined the possession because it lead to a grenade shot. There was a timeout and the next possession they ran a play and cooper took and made the three. I assume Kidd ran that play and told Cooper to take the shot. He needs to take those good looks.”

The Mavs’ rebuild year has been all about player development, and Flagg has been at the forefront of that. Despite some fans being frustrated with his mistakes, it’s clear that he’s learning and growing. As cow said:

“I have no doubt he will. The double team blitzes are simple to pass out of and he didn’t do a good job there and got visibly frustrated with the contact and non-calls. That’s easy data to process/film study and experience in those situations will help.”

The Mavs’ next few games will be crucial in determining their final standing, but for now, fans are just happy to see progress. As michaeltex joked, “Fun game, but it feels weird to be sweating out a loss rather than a win…”

And as for Cooper Flagg’s ROY chances? Well, as ThisIStheYear said:

“Apparently another super inefficient game from Flagg. His ROY chances must be dead and gone at this point. It’s time to shut him down.”

But RasheedsBigWhiteSpot quickly shot that down:

“Or not. Lol”

The Mavs’ rebuild year may not be the most exciting, but it’s definitely been entertaining. And with Cooper Flagg at the helm, there’s reason to be optimistic about the future. As michaeltex said:

“Can we give the anti-Dirkie to Christie? He really seems to have embraced the tanking methodology.”

The Mavs’ tanking efforts may not be yielding wins, but they’re yielding some great fan reactions. And who knows, maybe next year will be the year the Mavs turn it all around. But for now, let’s just enjoy the ride.

So here’s to hoping the Mavs’ next game is a win – or at least a close loss. And to all the fans out there, keep on tanking (and joking about it). As Winter said:

“If you’re tanking, that’s good coaching.”

It’s going to be a wild ride, Mavs fans. Buckle up.

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