“Ain’t Exciting”: NBA Champion Makes Controversial Luka Doncic Claim That’ll Please Mavs Fans

The Lakers are 3-0, and Luka Doncic is putting up some of the biggest numbers in the league. But Jeff Teague, a former All-Star who won a title with the Bucks in 2021, thinks Dallas fans have already found someone they enjoy watching more.

“I know you good because Dallas done forgot, not forgot about Luka, but [they’re] saying, we got Coop,” Teague said on the Club 520 Podcast. “He is a lil more exciting, he dunking s--t. Like on some real s--t, when you watch Luka play it ain’t exciting, he’s just cold. Like you know Luka is cold, but half the game you like, man, you will be mad because he’s arguing with the ref. You be like, ‘Damn, he cry so much, but he cold.’”

Mostly, the comparison has been about their rookie year stat lines. Teague’s is about how they play. Doncic has a long-standing reputation for arguing with officials and playing with visible emotion. Flagg, the second-year forward Dallas drafted first overall after trading Doncic, plays a more explosive, physical style that gets everyone excited.

Teague isn’t the first to make this argument. On an episode of the Game Over podcast in April, Max Kellerman said he’d rather build around Flagg, pointing to defense.

“(Flagg) is better than Luka at the same age," Kellerman said during the April 8, 2026 episode of the Game Over podcast. "I would rather have Cooper Flagg than Luka ... I think Luka's a better playmaker, but ... Cooper Flagg's one of these actual, 'can-defend-all-five-positions' players."

Their rookie numbers back that up. Doncic averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 2018-19. Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season, a year younger than Doncic was as a rookie, and blocked three times as many shots (0.9 a game to 0.3). Both won Rookie of the Year.

However, the real test for Flagg is this season, in his Year 2. Doncic's numbers jumped to 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in his second season and made his first All-NBA First Team. Flagg is off to a strong start: through three games, he’s averaging 25.0 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds, with 3.7 steals and 1.7 blocks. On Monday, he had 29 points and 11 assists in a win over Miami that got Dallas to 2-2.

The production gap between the two is there, though. Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds last season and led the league in scoring. A Grade 2 hamstring strain in April ended his regular season one game short of the 65-game awards threshold.

He’s started this season even hotter. On Sunday, he scored 52 points with 10 assists as the Lakers came back from 18 down to beat Utah 132-123. His back-to-back 3s finished a 14-5 run and put the Lakers up 127-121 with 1:42 left. Through three games, he’s averaging 34.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.0 assists

Flagg is 19, in his second season, and already producing at a level few players his age ever have. Doncic is 27 and among the league’s best scorers. Whether Flagg is more exciting is a personal preference. The fact still remains, though, that Flagg is chasing Doncic's production.

Both will be back on the court this week. The Lakers host Portland tonight, and the Mavericks host the Thunder on Wednesday.