Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg got NBA fans buzzing after he opened up about the adjustment that’s been hitting first-year players the hardest.
When asked about the toughest adjustment so far, Flagg didn’t dress it up: “The amount of games we play and travelling. It’s just different. In college, you have so many days between games, and you get so much more rest.”
The hardest thing for Rookies according to Cooper Flagg
“How many games we play and the travel”
As fans it’s hard to see when we are just turning the TV on but these dudes are traveling to 3-5 cities a week sometimes and playing almost every night
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 10, 2025
Anyone who’s followed the NBA knows the calendar can be brutal, but fans weren’t exactly lining up to feel bad for him.
@JustChill_Sean didn’t sugarcoat his take: “Must be hard traveling to different cities as multi millionaires on private jets and cars.”
@rockchalk_fans chimed in with a similar jab: “Flying private, staying in nice hotels, getting paid millions. Poor them.”
Not everyone piled on, though. @Eddiedrives1975 pointed out something that often gets lost in the noise: “Travel means being away from home. I think these guys just get tired of being away from their loved ones and their stuff. Totally understandable.”
Even with the mixed reactions, Flagg’s play hasn’t dipped. He’s been one of the bright spots of the rookie class and continues to make his case as the season rolls on.
“It’s not even a race”: NBA fans react as Cooper Flagg moves up the ladder
While people were debating his comments, Flagg quietly kept stacking strong outings. His recent surge pushed him ahead of Kon Knueppel in the latest NBA Kia Rookie Ladder, and fans didn’t hesitate to weigh in.
@15Ruminating didn’t see much suspense in the race: “Its not even a race, he’s roty. He’s on a dysfunctional team too. Even more impressive.”
Its not even a race, he’s roty. He’s on a dysfunctional team too. Even more impressive.
— Ruminating 15 (@15Ruminating) December 11, 2025
@JackAstorX backed that up by rattling off the milestones: “Flagg is the youngest in history with 35, youngest in history with 10+ assists in a game, youngest in history with 3 consecutive 20 point games, he’s also a better defender. Barring injury, Flagg is going to easily win RoTY.”
Through the early stretch, Flagg is averaging 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Knueppel still edges him slightly in scoring at 18 per night with 5.5 boards and 3.3 assists, but momentum is clearly working in Flagg’s favor.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
