The NBA debut of any first overall pick carries a lot of attention, and the same can be said for Cooper Flagg on the Dallas Mavericks. While it wasn’t his official NBA regular-season debut, Flagg most recently played his first preseason game, which caught the notice of many fans.
In the 106-89 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Flagg finished with a well-rounded ten points, six rebounds, three assists, and a block in 14 minutes of action. Speaking after the game, the first overall pick said he had fun in his first time on the court.
“That’s a fun brand of basketball to play when the ball’s moving around,” Flagg said in his postgame press conference. “It was fun.”
10 PTS 6 REB 3 AST 1 BLK
Flagg & the Mavs lead the Thunder at the break!
The Thunder were without most of their top stars for the preseason game, but head coach Jason Kidd played a majority of the Mavericks’ roster. While Flagg, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Dallas’ other top contributors each played around 15 minutes each, the team saw a total of 15 players see action.
Cooper Flagg’s Preseason Debut
As a prospect out of Duke, Flagg enters the NBA as a versatile player with both the ability to defend on and off-ball, as well as be a playmaker and shot creator on offense. He was the highest-ranked prospect in the draft by far and comes to the league after one of the most successful freshman seasons in recent college basketball memory.
Flagg’s versatility was on display during his preseason debut, but the scoring was what came slowly. The top pick scored all of his ten points in a less than three-minute span in the fourth quarter, which included two three-pointers.
Back-to-back buckets for the No. 1 pick’s first career preseason points!
“That’s a thing we worked a lot on this summer,” Flagg said about his three-point shot. “Being comfortable expanding the floor. Using the space that this bigger court gives you. Using that to my advantage. Being comfortable coming off those pick-and-rolls and being able to knock down open shots.”
Though he was relatively limited in 14 minutes, Flagg looked comfortable in his preseason debut. While he didn’t take many shots, he showed his playmaking ability at forward, finishing with three assists, tied for the second-most on the team. Flagg showed his offensive flexibility in college when it came to making the right decision, and he did the same against the Thunder.
“Just taking whatever the defense gives me,” Flagg added. “Just keep it simple, making the right play — pass or shot, whatever that is.”
Flagg only played in the first half against Oklahoma City, but it was enough to help the team get out to a 26-point lead at halftime, proving efficient in his limited action.
“You got to see the defensive side, you got to see the playmaking, and then the scoring,” head coach Jason Kidd said on Flagg. “He was really, really good.”
Mavericks New-Look Roster
Flagg wasn’t the only Dallas player fans paid attention to in the game. Notably, it was Anthony Davis’ first game after retina surgery and, subsequently, his first game wearing protective eyewear. He finished with a similar stat line to Flagg, with seven points, seven rebounds, an assist, and two steals in 16 minutes.
Kidd has said Davis will play more in the power forward position this year. While he also showed strong signs in the preseason game, Davis will hold a big responsibility as the team’s leader while Kyrie Irving continues to recover from an ACL injury suffered in March.
Dallas’ other big men, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, and Dwight Powell, alongside Davis and Flagg, form one of the best frontcourt groups in the NBA. All but Gafford also played in limited action, but like during the team’s 2024 Finals run, each will be critical on both sides of the floor.
Max Christie had a notable game, as he enters his first full season with the Mavericks after being sent over with Davis in the Luka Doncic trade. Kidd expects Christie to have a big role on the team moving forward, and liked what he saw from the 22-year-old.
“You can tell he’s in shape and ready to go,” Kidd said. “I thought the cutting, his ability to be aggressive there, the ability to get to the free-throw line… He’s one that’s going to play a lot of minutes for us.”
Along with Christie, Dallas will be using D’Angelo Russell as point guard before Irving returns. Those two and Thompson, will be equally as valuable when it comes to spreading the floor on offense.
Flagg remains the top storyline, but Dallas will be an intriguing team to follow as the season evolves.
Cooper Flagg Gives Honest Reaction To Mavs’ Preseason Debut