Ultimately, Cooper Flagg will be absent from his inaugural All-Star weekend.
The promising Dallas Mavericks newcomer had an MRI scan on Wednesday, which confirmed he sustained a left midfoot sprain, according to the team’s statement. Consequently, he is set to sit out the Mavericks’ match against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and will not join the Rising Stars competition at the Intuit Dome this Friday, marking the commencement of the All-Star festivities in Southern California.
Ace Bailey, a forward for the Utah Jazz chosen only four selections behind Flagg in the previous year’s draft, is slated to take the Mavericks sensation’s place in the upcoming event, as announced by the league on Thursday.
Bailey is assigned to Team Melo, under the guidance of head coach Carmelo Anthony.
Similar to Flagg, Bailey completed only a single year in college basketball. He played his most recent season at Rutgers and was considered a top prospect heading into the draft. However, a period of controversy before the draft, culminating in Bailey severing ties with his contentious manager, led to his slight drop to the Jazz as the fifth overall pick.
However, in contrast to Flagg, Bailey did not immediately assume a central role within his team’s starting five. Although he has been in the starting lineup for 37 out of 48 total appearances, his engagement rate (18.7%) is distinctly less than Flagg’s (24.7%).
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Nevertheless, Bailey has demonstrated considerable potential, especially in recent times. His current averages stand at 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, coupled with a field goal percentage of 44.9%, and a 34.3% success rate from three-point range.
He has achieved scores exceeding 20 points in seven separate matches. Four of those notable performances occurred within his last dozen games.
Not long ago, the teenager, aged 19, set a record as the youngest player in Jazz history to accumulate 500 career points.
Even though Flagg will be unable to partake in the weekend’s celebratory events, his injury might have occurred at an opportune moment for the Mavericks. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Flagg is not anticipated to miss additional time for recovery. The Mavericks are scheduled to resume play after the All-Star break on February 20th in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, providing Flagg over a week to recuperate.
Flagg, who was the Mavericks’ top overall selection in the draft during the previous summer, has maintained averages of 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per contest this season. The former star from Duke has maintained a shooting percentage slightly above 48% from the field. On Tuesday evening, Flagg recorded a game-best 27 points and five assists during Dallas’ 120-111 defeat against the Phoenix Suns in Arizona.
However, notwithstanding an impressive beginning to his first professional season, the Mavericks have experienced recent difficulties. The squad will approach Thursday’s contest at Crypto.com Arena with a win-loss tally of 19-34. They have endured eight consecutive losses and currently occupy the 12th position in the Western Conference standings, indicating they are likely to miss the postseason for the second successive year.
Regarding Bailey’s team, the Jazz, they too are positioned near the bottom of the Western Conference. With a record of 18 wins and 37 losses, Utah holds the 13th spot in the conference standings.
Nevertheless, both franchises are focused on future development, with their burgeoning young talents forming the cornerstone of these strategic initiatives.
