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Chicago Bulls legend Ron Harper defended No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg in the midst of the Mavericks forward's NBA Rookie of the Year battle with his son, Dylan Harper. On Sunday, Harper yelled from Flagg “Haters” after a parody account on X called “NBA Tour Dates” poked fun at the former Duke star's performance against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
Flagg had 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal in the 122-110 loss, but shot a miserable 3-for-14 and 2-for-6 from deep. After seeing his low-light reel go viral, Harper wrote:
“Give the haters a chance kid”
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Cooper Flagg, 18, has had a rough start to his NBA career, especially compared to other top picks such as Dylan Harper. The Mavericks have played him out of position as the starting point guard. Flagg has averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 37.3 percent shooting, including 28.6 percent.
His NBA Rookie of the Year stock continues to plummet due to his lack of production and inefficiency, despite flashes of superstar potential. Flagg also has the most responsibility of any player in his draft class on a limping Mavericks team.
Dallas began the season without Kyrie Irving, who is recovering from ACL surgery. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis will miss his second game on Monday against the Houston Rockets with a calf injury.
Dylan Harper suffers injury setback, could hamper NBA Rookie of the Year race against Cooper Flagg and others
Dylan Harper's latest injury setback may derail his NBA Rookie of the Year campaign. On Sunday, Harper left the game against the Phoenix Suns in the second quarter with a calf injury. he He reportedly left the arena wearing a walking boot and crutches, hinting that he could lose significant time.
Harper had averaged 14.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 4.6 apg in five games before facing the Suns. He was on the verge of his best game yet, scoring 12 points in 11 minutes of action on 62.5 percent shooting.
Dylan Harper may have even forced a comeback from the Spurs, who lost the game 130-118 after a miserable night for star Victor Wembanyama. The 7-foot-5 MVP candidate finished with nine points and nine rebounds, going 4-for-14 as the Spurs' historic winning streak ended at five games.
Harper was widely in the top three in the Rookie of the Year race with VJ Edgecombe and Cedric Coward as his closest competitors after the first week. He was closing the gap on Edgecombe, but that will be delayed for now.
As for Cooper Flagg, he barely kept his top five spot alive and now has a chance to make a push due to Harper's injury setback.
Edited by Arhaan Raje
