Major injury update emerges on Mavericks' Cooper Flagg after missing last 7 games

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Major injury update emerges on Mavericks' Cooper Flagg after missing last 7 games originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

It’s been a season filled with highs and lows for the Dallas Mavericks, whose playoff hopes are now a long shot at 21–39. Still, the franchise has found a bright spot in rookie Cooper Flagg, who is widely viewed as the next cornerstone in Dallas.

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Flagg is currently in what appears to be a two-man race for the Rookie of the Year Award alongside former Duke teammate and roommate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets.

However, Knueppel may hold a slight edge for now, as Flagg has missed the last seven games with a mid-foot sprain sustained just before the NBA All-Star break.

Ahead of the Mavericks’ showdown against Knueppel and the Hornets on Tuesday, NBA insider Marc Stein provided a significant injury update on Flagg — one that signals his return could be imminent.

"Hearing some optimism in Dallas that Cooper Flagg is nearing a return from the mid-foot sprain that has sidelined him for the past seven games," Stein said. 

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Flagg realistically should be a freshman in college right now, but he reclassified in high school, which allowed him to enroll at Duke last season before making the leap to the NBA. He even spent part of this season — up until December — playing as an 18-year-old in the league, and it didn’t take long for him to adjust.

The Mavericks have deployed him in virtually every role imaginable. He’s handled the ball at point, operated inside around the post, and shown the ability to score effectively both on and off the ball from nearly every spot on the floor.

Through 49 games, Flagg is averaging 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field and 30.2% from beyond the arc.

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