The Dallas Mavericks believe Cooper Flagg doesn’t take advantage of the whistle when attacking the basket, and statistical evidence could support that belief, according to Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News.
Curtis points out that Flagg averages 11.9 drives to the rim per game, matching the frequency of Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
Still, the top pick only draws 1.8 free throw attempts per game on those drives, well below Edwards’ 3.3.
“You just have to play through it,” the former Duke star said. “It’s probably not the first time in my life that I haven’t gotten any calls and it probably won’t be the last time.”
Head coach Jason Kidd took a much more vocal stance after Saturday’s loss to the Houston Rockets, criticizing the referee after what he said was a missed foul involving Amen Thompson.
Former team owner Mark Cuban also echoed those frustrations.
“He’ll keep going until he hears the whistle,” Kidd said. “There’s been a lot of fouls missed on this young man. Maybe they don’t know his game yet, but that’s who he is. He’s going to keep going. He’s not going to get discouraged.”
Despite the complaints, the league upheld the non-call in question in its most recent NBA report on the final two minutes.
Southwestern Notes: Poole, Hawkins, Flagg, Durant https://t.co/QyWgQeFtlj pic.twitter.com/eu3gPsqzzh
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 2, 2026
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