Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg walked off the courtroom with 10 factors on 5-of-21 capturing and 0 made threes, however what mattered most to him? The win.
“I might say that is likely to be one of many worst video games of my life,” Flagg stated after the Mavericks’ 87–85 summer time league victory over the Lakers. “However we bought the win, in order that’s what actually issues to me.”
It wasn’t a clear debut for the 18-year-old, however there was nothing quiet about it both. Flagg added six rebounds, 4 assists, three steals, and a game-saving block on Duke alum DJ Steward — a sequence that helped arrange Ryan Nembhard’s game-winning three within the ultimate minute. Nembhard completed with a team-high 21 factors.
The win wasn’t safe till the Lakers’ Bronny James rimmed off a deep isolation 3-point try with lower than 5 seconds remaining within the sport.
The Poise Exhibits, Even When the Shot Doesn’t
The numbers don’t inform the entire story. Flagg performed with tempo, learn traps, rotated early, and by no means seemed rattled even because the Lakers pressured him full courtroom. Given Dallas desires him to deal with initiating the offense as a point-forward this season, it was an amazing early take a look at that problem. Regardless, he had some powerful shotmaking sequences in mid-range whereas being aggressive attacking the paint.
“They had been being tremendous bodily with him within the put up or anytime he drove it,” stated Mavericks summer time league coach Josh Broghamer. “He simply makes the best play time and again.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who’s been preserving a detailed eye from afar, praised what Flagg confirmed, even by means of errors. Dallas desires him to develop and understands there shall be errors alongside the way in which, which shall be met with endurance.
“I believe when you may have somebody like Cooper who can deal with, who can shoot, who can cross, you need the ball in his arms. He’s an amazing decision-maker,” Kidd advised ESPN. “He did that at Duke and in addition in highschool. He’s gonna have some errors. All of us did. All of us threw it into the stands infrequently. However I believe simply his poise as an 18-year-old is unimaginable.”
Chemistry Already Clicking with Nembhard
Enjoying alongside Nembhard for lengthy stretches, Flagg benefited from having some extent guard able to enjoying off the ball who has a really feel to alleviate stress. Whereas that pushed Nembhard off the ball greater than common, the connection between the 2 was straightforward to see.
“Tremendous enjoyable to play with,” Nembhard stated of Flagg. “He’s an excellent unselfish man. All he desires to do is win. He guards 5 positions. He can rating the ball very well. Clearly it wasn’t his evening tonight, however the gravity he has on the market helps different guys get attractiveness.”
Nembhard completed with 21 factors and 5 assists. He additionally hit the go-ahead three late within the fourth — a shot that was made potential by Flagg’s skip cross out of stress.
“There was this man within the nook, me there, so it was simply the best play — and he’s gonna make that proper play,” Nembhard stated.
They’re nonetheless studying one another’s tendencies, however the really feel is already there. Flagg and Nembhard have spent the previous few weeks constructing chemistry in observe, and it confirmed in stretches, particularly in transition and late-game actions.
“We now have a bit of little bit of a Montverde connection,” Nembhard joked. “Two guys who are available and love the sport. He’s a cool dude, so it’s a simple connection to construct.”
Summer time League Classes Come Quick
Flagg admitted he’s nonetheless working into sport form after an extended pre-draft course of and hasn’t discovered his offensive rhythm but. He stated the tempo and spacing had been totally different from what he was used to, and that adjusting to the physicality will take time.
“It’s a special surroundings,” Flagg stated. “Clearly very totally different from faculty, and possibly very totally different from what the true NBA is gonna be like.”
Nonetheless, the Mavericks are giving him freedom, not simply to run actions, however to fail and be taught in actual time. They need him to get comfy making reads, dealing with stress, and rising by means of the reps, even when it means residing with some early errors.
“They need me to strive new issues, experiment, develop my sport — and I really feel that belief,” Flagg stated.
Broghamer highlighted how staggering ball-handlers all through the sport allowed Dallas to generate higher spacing and circulate, notably when Flagg shared the ground with Nembhard and Jordan Corridor.
“That was actually good for him and Cooper after which Jordan Corridor as nicely to all play off one another,” Broghamer stated. “That helped open the ground up for everyone else.”
Studying to Lead, Even With out Scoring
Flagg was aggressive from the bounce, taking 9 photographs within the first quarter and pushing the ball off rebounds. At instances, he introduced it up in opposition to stress and referred to as his personal quantity in isolation. It served as an early check to function in opposition to aggressive ball stress and he left the sport being inspired.
“It’s new for me — bringing it up, dealing with full-court stress,” Flagg stated. “I used to be a bit of drained, however it was good to cope with that, work by means of some issues.”
He additionally famous how uncommon the summer time league dynamic is — the place rosters are crammed with undrafted veterans, rookies, and gamers on wildly totally different profession paths.
“It’s only a totally different sport — totally different spacing, totally different guys,” he stated. “Loads of gamers are in numerous components of their careers, coming from totally different angles. So it’s about meshing that every one collectively, determining what works and what doesn’t.”
Not Fairly, However Productive
Flagg’s first professional outing wasn’t the highlight-reel debut some followers wished, however the flashes had been there: the assistance protection, the reads, the resilience. He performed 32 minutes and by no means stopped competing.
“I’m not essentially fearful,” Flagg stated, “however I’m not proud of the way it went. On the finish of the day, we bought the win.”
And the Mavericks consider the remainder will comply with.
Dallas will get one other probability to compete with Flagg on Saturday afternoon when the Mavericks face the San Antonio Spurs at Thomas & Mack Heart — and one other alternative for Flagg to settle in, alter, and construct on a debut that, whereas uneven, left little doubt about his long-term potential.
