DeMarcus Cousins sees Cooper Flagg as NBA’s next face

DeMarcus Cousins doesn’t need much more convincing about Cooper Flagg. He’s already looking beyond what the Mavericks forward can do for Dallas.

Cousins sees a player capable of becoming the face of the entire league.

“But this is the future of the NBA. Future face,” Cousins said on Gil’s Arena, via Jonas Panerio of Basketball Network.

Flagg’s latest performance gave him plenty to work with. The 19-year-old finished with 43 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals in Monday’s 125-122 win over the Pacers.

Those are impressive numbers at any age. Cousins’ larger point was that Flagg is producing them with considerable development still ahead.

“He’s still not even close to being in his prime,” Cousins said.

Cousins praised Flagg’s versatility and athleticism, arguing that his ability to impact the game in multiple ways separates him from other players. The scoring draws attention, but the rebounding, passing and defensive contributions help explain the enthusiasm.

For the Mavericks, that’s the more useful part of this discussion. They don’t need to settle who will represent the NBA for the next decade. They need someone who can make the right play when a game gets tight.

Flagg did that against Indiana, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter. He gave Dallas both the production to stay competitive and the late offense to finish.

Becoming the face of the league takes more than a strong November. Becoming the player a franchise trusts to build around is a pretty good start.