Cooper Flagg's recent success gives Dylan Harper an impossible task

In May, the NBA world was sent through the wringer when the lottery results were revealed. The teams expected to be in the top three in the draft were furious. The results gave the Dallas Mavericks, fresh off the shocking Luka Doncic trade, Cooper Flagg, and the Spurs were given Dylan Harper. It was an absolute shocker.

It was impossible not to be excited as a Spurs fan. Even though they didn't ultimately land the grand prize, they still landed an incredible player in Harper. With the two players being taken back-to-back, a new rivalry has taken shape. However, any comparisons between these two aren't exactly fair.

Cooper Flagg has been on an outright tear

Before the season, it was widely expected that the new face of the Dallas Mavericks, Cooper Flagg, would be the undeniable Rookie of the Year. However, after Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd made the bizarre decision to play the lifelong forward at point guard, his early season was off to a rough start.

With that, the Spurs anticipated their own rookie, Dylan Harper, getting into the mix. Well, Flagg has quickly put an end to that. In December, the Duke alum is averaging 24.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 3.8 APG and is leading the Mavericks to some much-needed victories. All of a sudden, the youngster is looking like the picture Dallas fans originally painted.

Despite Harper's success as a key member of the Spurs bench, Flagg looks like the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year. But it brings up an important question: how would Harper look in Flagg's role?

Dylan Harper has an unfortunate disadvantage against Flagg

Ever since the draft happened, it was known what kind of position these rookies would be in. Flagg stands alongside the often-injured Anthony Davis as the sole star of their team. Meanwhile, Dylan Harper has been relegated to the bench by no fault of his own. He's simply on a team full of more established players.

Because of this, drawing comparisons between Flagg and Harper is impossible. The Mavericks' rookie would produce more on a team catered to his talents. Harper is stuck on a squad that already has two other guards in place in the starting lineup.

If the roles were reversed and the draft picks were swapped, I would expect the stats to shift as well. Harper would have a much easier time showcasing his offensive skill set on the Mavericks, while Flagg would have to play fourth fiddle behind the Spurs' dominant trio.

So, before you start believing any narrative that Cooper Flagg is worlds better than Dylan Harper, remember the positions that they were put in. In due time, Harper will get his chance to shine, but it will take some time. Both players are great in their own ways and will take their respective paths to stardom. Flagg is just a little bit ahead at this time and may be for the rest of their careers.