For the first time since the “Luka & Kai” era ended, the American Airlines Center saw two Mavericks drop 30+ points in the same game on Thursday night.
In a high-octane 135-123 loss to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, rookie sensation Cooper Flagg continued his historic tear with 32 points. But he wasn’t alone. Veteran forward Naji Marshall matched him point-for-point, also finishing with 32 points on an ultra-efficient 12-of-21 shooting night.
Naturally, the sight of two Mavericks lighting up the scoreboard brought back memories of the franchise’s previous superstar duo. In the post-game scrum, a reporter asked Marshall if he and Flagg should start receiving the same “big deal” hype that Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving used to get when they pulled off similar feats.
Marshall’s response? He immediately pumped the brakes with the perfect mix of humility and veteran awareness.
“Let Coop Have All The Shine”
Rather than feeding into the “New Dynamic Duo” narrative, Marshall made it clear who the Batman of this franchise is.
“Let Coop have all the shine,” Marshall said with a smile. “I’m cool with being Robin.”
He went on to deflect the praise entirely toward the 19-year-old rookie, who has now scored 30+ points in four consecutive games—a feat no rookie has achieved since Allen Iverson in 1997.
“Cooper inspired me,” Marshall admitted. “He’s on a rampage right now. He had 30 again tonight, so [I was] just trying to match his energy.”
Why This Attitude Matters
For a Mavericks team in transition, Marshall’s mindset is exactly what the doctor ordered.
The departure of Luka Dončić (and the recent trade of Anthony Davis to Washington) has left a massive power vacuum in Dallas. Cooper Flagg has stepped into that void with a “rampage” rarely seen from a teenager. But a rookie can’t do it alone.
They don’t need Marshall to be Kyrie Irving. They don’t need him to be a superstar. They need him to be exactly what he was on Thursday: a gritty, versatile “Robin” who can shoulder the load when the defense collapses on the kid.
Marshall, who has embraced a larger playmaking role recently due to injuries, is proving to be the ultimate safety valve for Flagg. He attacks closeouts, hits open threes, and—most importantly—knows his place in the pecking order.
The “New” Mavs
While the loss to the Spurs was their sixth straight, the chemistry developing between Flagg and Marshall is a legitimate bright spot.
The “Luka & Kyrie” comparisons will always be there—those ghosts hang in the rafters. But Naji Marshall isn’t trying to chase ghosts. He’s just trying to help the new kid build his own legacy.
And if that means playing Robin to Flagg’s Batman? Naji is cool with that.
