Olden Polynice fears Cooper Flagg might not live up to the hype: "They've been looking for the next Larry Bird for I don't know how many years" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Cooper Flagg will enter his rookie NBA season with sky-high expectations after the Dallas Mavericks drafted him first overall.

Dallas Mavericks No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg is already facing some lofty expectations, and another major comparison recently came his way.

Cooper Flagg Will Be a 'Better Scorer Than Kevin Garnett,' Predicts NBA Analyst originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Harrison then reiterated that the team doesn’t want Irving to rush back onto the court. While Irving’s out, key players like D’Angelo Russell (who attended Monday’s Mavericks-Hornets summer league game) will be expected to step up and run the offense.

Cooper Flagg’s official player rating for NBA 2K 26 is an 82, and following the reveal, Flagg shared his thoughts on his official rating. “I’m very happy with that,” Flagg said. “I’ve been playing 2K for a while so that’s a very generous rating.”

The energy was electric at Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday afternoon as the top two attractions from the 2025 NBA Draft squared off.