This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/mavericks/onsi as Jason Kidd explains controversial Cooper Flagg decision that could pay off for Mavericks.

Lately, Cooper Flagg has gone above and beyond the call of duty. The rookie sensation for the Dallas Mavericks has been entrusted with the of starting point guard role. With that will come a certain amount of criticism as to whether the No.1 pick coming off one year at Duke has what it takes.

The historical context makes the performance even more notable. Several elite players entered the NBA as teenagers, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tracy McGrady. None recorded a game with at least 20 points, five assists, and zero turnovers before turning 19.

Cooper Flagg was named the NBA’s Western Conference rookie of the month on Tuesday. The Dallas Mavericks forward became the team’s 13th player to win the award and first since Luka Doncic, who won the award five consecutive times in 2018-19.

DALLAS — Early in the 2025-26 season, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd surprised many by playing 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg at the point guard position. The results were far from ideal, as Flagg — who had primarily played forward previously — did not look especially comfortable at point guard.

The Mavericks contend that Flagg already has become a great player.

“I’m not saying he is Kobe, but I remember what that relationship looked like,” Thompson said about Flagg comparing him to Bryant. “Now that I’m in that position, I want to show him how much this game means to me, being out there every night.”

Flagg went viral for a turn-around fadeaway midrange shot in that game, as the mid-range has been dialed in for him recently. He's more comfortable living in the area of the floor, and once the three-point shot develops, he's going to be a really hard player to guard.