It's not very easy to come into the NBA and be a superstar right away. Over the past few years, only a few players have done so, which is why the Dallas Mavericks and their fan base need to give Cooper Flagg some time to figure things out. Flagg, expected to be a generational talent, might have some struggles early on, and that's fine.
When speaking about how Flagg might look, former six-time NBA All-Star Jermaine O'Neal, who was also a three-time All-NBA selection, had the same message for Mavericks fans and Flagg.
He added that he needs some grace and that things might not be as easy as they might seem instantly.
"He has to be able to give himself some grace, as well," O'Neal said." Obviously, a lot of pressure being the number one pick going to a situation that they lost another really good player, so people are expecting him to come in and to fill the void. He needs to really just focus on what he can do in his development, and give himself grace over a period of time that he has to understand the transition from college to the NBA."
For a player of Flagg’s caliber, many Mavericks fans will be expecting him to come in and instantly make an impact.
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It's certainly possible that he does, but even if he struggles a bit offensively, his defense should be more than fine.
Flagg is known as a generational defender, so at the very least, he should help Dallas on that front, which is important, according to everything Nico Harrison has said over the past few months.