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.

Is it too early for me to assume the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year race has already been narrowed down to two players? Probably, but with the way Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been playing, it feels difficult to see another player crashing the party.

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.

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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.

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.

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