Cooper Flagg vs Luka Doncic early career stats - Can Duke freshman replace Dallas Mavericks' beloved star?

The Dallas Mavericks, which gained notoriety three months ago after shipping their superstar shooting guard Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers for veteran forward-center and Kentucky standout Anthony Davis, secured a big reprieve after taking the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery on Monday despite having one of the least odds of reaching the number.

Now, the Mavericks are on the hot seat. They have a great opportunity to select Duke star Cooper Flagg, the consensus No. 1 pick in this year's draft and a future building block in this storied franchise.

Seven years ago, Doncic was picked by the Atlanta Hawks as the third overall selection in the 2018 NBA draft. However, Dallas snapped him up for No. 5 pick Trae Young and a projected 2019 first-round pick.

Since then, the 6-foot-6 Slovenian guard became one of the top stars in the NBA, winning the All-NBA First Team five times and the 2019 Rookie of the Year. The five-time NBA All-Star was also the reigning scoring champion and a Euroleague MVP in 2018.

Flagg, on the other hand, had multiple awards in his lone freshman year in the NCAA, winning the national college player of the year, Consensus first-team All-American, Lute Olson Award, Julius Irving Award, Wayman Tisdale Award, NABC Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year.

Let's take a closer look at the early stats of Cooper Flagg and Luka Doncic before they reach the NBA:

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Cooper Flagg high school, college stats vs Luka Doncic EuroLeague, Liga ACB stats

Cooper Flagg High School, College stats

Cooper Flagg had an excellent high school stint at the Nokomis Regional High School. He tallied 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals and 3.7 blocks per game to emerge as the first freshman to secure the Maine Gatorade Player of the Year.

He transferred to Montverde Academy in 2022 and had a big impact in the school, where he was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year and McDonald's All-American as a senior in 2023-24. Flagg tallied 16.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.8 apg and 2.7 bpg to lead Montverde to a 33-0 record and a national championship title.

The 6-foot-9 star showcased his talent at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam event, where he finished with 25.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.9 blocks, 5.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Flagg committed to Duke in October 2023 and played for the Blue Devils in the 2024-25 season. He made his presence felt during his stint in Durham, where he became a 12-time ACC Rookie of the Week.

The Duke star played and started for 37 games. He came up 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

He shot 48.1% from the field, including 38.5% from the 3-point line. Flagg helped Duke make the Final Four in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

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Luka Doncic Euroleague, Liga ACB stats

Luka Doncic didn't play in college as he turned professional at age 16. He played four seasons with Real Madrid beginning in 2014.

The Slovenian star had a so-so first season with Real Madrid, appearing in only five games and averaging 1.6 ppg and 1.2 rpg. He had significant improvements in his next three seasons in the Spanish league and peaked in the 2017-18 season, where he tallied 12.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.7 apg and 1.1 spg while playing 24.3 minutes per game.

Real Madrid won in three of the four Liga ACB seasons where Doncic played. In four seasons, he tallied averages of 7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 3.0 apg in 18 mpg.

Doncic also played superb basketball in the EuroLeague, averaging 10.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 3.9 apg in 80 games for Real Madrid. He peaked in 2017-18, when he played 33 games for Real Madrid and tallied averages of 16.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.3 apg and 1.1 spg. His stats helped the Liga ACB team win the EuroLeague title as well.

His prolific stats production in both leagues despite limited minutes made him an efficient player who can play all positions when he made a jump in the NBA in the 2018-19 season.

Dallas hopes to have its next superstar in Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks wish the Duke standout will have a similar impact or better than the Slovenian superstar had in the past six seasons.