From Newsweek · Rowan Fisher-Shotton · · 1m 10s
Cooper Flagg Outperforms LeBron James at Age 19
Cooper Flagg leads Dallas Mavericks to 2-2 record after scoring 21 points and 11 assists in win over Miami Heat.
In brief
Cooper Flagg leads Dallas Mavericks to 2-2 record after scoring 21 points and 11 assists in win over Miami Heat. Cooper Flagg outperforms LeBron James in defensive versatility at age 19, with both players having similar scoring stats but Flagg excelling in defense. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Cooper Flagg returns from injury
Cooper Flagg scored 21 points on 12 of 23 shooting with 11 assists, six rebounds, five steals, and three blocks in Dallas Mavericks' 113-109 win over Miami Heat.
Flagg leads Mavericks to 2-2 record
The win moved Dallas to 2-2 on the season while Miami dropped to 0-4 after Flagg scored 12 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Brian Windhorst compares Flagg and LeBron
ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst said Flagg is a better defender than LeBron at 19, with superior fundamental jump shot and positional versatility.
“He's not the offensive talent that LeBron was as a 19-year-old. LeBron's ability to impose his physical talents on the offensive end from age 18 was more impressive, and therefore he put up huge numbers and was just physically dominant. [But] Cooper Flagg’s a better defender than LeBron at 19.”
Flagg's rookie stats
Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game, winning Rookie of the Year.
Flagg's current season stats
This season, Flagg has 25.0 points, 6.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks across three games.
Here's the gist
Cooper Flagg outperforms LeBron James in defensive versatility at age 19, with both players having similar scoring stats but Flagg excelling in defense.
