1 out of 9! Another parallel import No. 1 pick in the NBA! Flagg’s transformation experiment failed

In the last three games, Flagg, the Mavericks' top pick, has made a total of 10 of 34 shots and 2 of 9 three-pointers. In one game, he made 3 of 14 shots, and in another game, he made 1 of 9 shots. In the first 6 games of the season, Flagg shot less than 31% in 3 games. Is it Flagg's own problem? Or is it because the Lone Ranger asked him to play point guard, which caused his poor condition?

Mavericks coach Kidd said that before Irving returns, he will not consider changing Flagg's position for the time being: "I hope Irving can come back in 2025 instead of waiting until 2026. The backcourt combination of him and Flagg will be perfect." Klay Thompson said: "I told Flagg during his rookie season Play freely and don't be afraid of taking responsibility."

Flagg started 6 games for the Mavericks this season, averaging 32.5 minutes per game, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers. His three shooting percentages were: 37.3%, 28.6%, and 100%. As the starting point guard, Flagg had 0 assists in two games, and his shortcomings in movement control skills were infinitely magnified.

In this year’s preseason, Flagg played 4 games. He averaged 21.8 minutes per game, 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.3 turnovers. His three shooting percentages were: 39.5%, 30.8%, and 100%. Combined with the preseason and regular season, Flagg played a total of 10 games, and his data obviously did not meet the Lone Ranger's expectations.

Why do the Mavericks have to force Flagg to play point guard? He is obviously a striker. On October 15 this year, the Mavericks and Kidd renewed a multi-year contract. The Mavericks want Kidd to transform Flagg, just like the Bucks transformed Antetokounmpo. But the current Mavericks are different from the Bucks back then. The Mavericks are under record pressure.

The Mavericks have three No. 1 picks, and there are many veterans on the team. These players hope to win the championship with the Mavericks. How much room for trial and error is left for Flagg? Although Irving has been injured, the Mavericks still have a real point guard: Russell. Yesterday, the Mavericks played against the Pistons. Russell scored 31 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists on 10 of 17 shots!

Irving will be back in about two months. Russell can also start at the No. 1 position for a while, but Kidd just doesn't need it. Russell played 6 games for the Mavericks this season, all as a substitute. He averaged 22.2 minutes per game, 14.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.2 turnovers. His three shooting percentages were: 39.1%, 31.4%, and 71.4%.

In addition to Irving, there are many other injuries in the Mavericks: Nongmei has a left calf strain and has missed the game against the Pistons, and will have to sit out at least one game; Lively has a sprained right knee and has missed three consecutive games, and his return date is currently undetermined; Exum has a sore right knee and has not played a game this season, and there is no accurate time for his return.

During this offseason, many fans were worried that the Mavericks would not be able to stay healthy. Now that the season has just begun, the Mavericks have encountered a wave of injuries. The Mavericks currently rank second to last in the Western Conference with 2 wins and 4 losses, and their record is only better than the Pelicans, who have 0 wins and 5 losses. The Mavericks averaged 108.2 points per game, 29th in the league; they averaged 23.2 assists per game, 27th in the league.

Let’s talk about another data comparison: As of today’s game, Doncic has averaged 45.3 points per game this season (45.3 points). With Big Eyebrow + Flagg + Christie, the combined average points per game is 46.6 points. Do you think the Mavericks should continue to reform Flagg? Or let him return to the familiar front line?