The Dallas Mavericks may have the most intriguing roster in the NBA at the moment. That's a result of them abruptly trading star Luka Dončić last season after building a talented roster around him.
They then lucked out and landed potential generational prospect Cooper Flagg, putting a young star on a team full of talent. Even so, it may take him time to develop into a franchise player. But luckily for the Mavericks, coach Jason Kidd, who was both a franchise and NBA legend, could be the perfect man to help unlock his game.
“I want to put him at point guard. I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts being able to run the show. Being able to play the two, play the three – he’s comfortable playing that. But we want to push. And I think he’s going to respond in a positive way,” Jason Kidd said.
Kidd was instrumental in the development of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, putting the ball in his hands early on and having him operate as a point forward. It wasn't always successful, but it led to Giannis eventually developing into one of the better playmakers in the NBA.
In fact, he has averaged at least five assists per game over the last five seasons. That has helped to make Giannis unstoppable, and Kidd could use the same development strategy for Flagg.
Jason Kidd must experiment with Cooper Flagg at point guard
With the Mavericks not having Kyrie Irving at least until January, Kidd could use that opportunity to have Flagg play more with the ball in his hands. It might not always go great, but throwing him into the deep end could accelerate his development and be better for him long-term.
Even if Flagg doesn't develop in the same ways offensively, having plenty of reps with the ball in his hands should help him. It should improve his ball-handling skills, with teams likely to put their best defensive player on him.
That is difficult to replicate in practice and would provide Flagg a learning experience that he would not otherwise get. Better still, the Mavericks have enough talent with Anthony Davis and several NBA-caliber players to offset any potential shortcomings of a point-Flagg-led offense.
That would give the Mavericks the best of both worlds, with them still being competitive while their young star learns on the job and works to expand his game.
Cooper Flagg can raise his ceiling by improving as a playmaker
If he eventually excels as a playmaker, then he will be all the more impressive as a prospect. He is already an elite defensive prospect, with him being able to defend on the perimeter and challenge shots at the rim while also having plenty of offensive skill as a three-level scorer.
Bringing the ball up the court and initiating offense would keep him more involved in the offense. It would draw attention from his teammates, resulting in them getting easier shots. It could help him, too, by having him become more accustomed to using ball screens to create an advantage in the half court and attack the paint. That would give him another weapon in his growing offensive arsenal.
All told, Coach Kidd must experiment with having Flagg play point guard next season. If Flagg can develop playmaking skills, then it could take his game to another level and bring him one step closer to superstardom.