Browsing: Cooper

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  Tim MacMahonOct 28, 2025, 01:09 AM ET

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  • Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
  • Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
  • Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM

DALLAS — Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg injured his left shoulder on the opening possession of Monday night’s 101-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and spent the vast majority of crunch time watching from the bench due to a coach’s decision.

Flagg finished with only two points on 1-of-9 shooting, two rebounds and no assists in 31 minutes, attributing his lackluster performance to being “flat” in the second game of his first NBA back-to-back.

Flagg, the No. 1 pick who scored 22 points in the previous night’s win over the Toronto Raptors, wore a large wrap with heat on his left shoulder when he was on the bench throughout the game. He received treatment and iced it postgame, and said he was optimistic that he would be available for Wednesday’s home game against the Indiana Pacers.

“We’re going to probably get some scans or whatever, make sure everything’s all clean, but I feel like it’s just a little sore,” said Flagg, who thought he injured his shoulder while boxing out. “Just want to keep an eye on it, ice it, do some rehab and should be good to go.”

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Dallas trailed the defending champions by as many as 22 points but sliced the deficit to one with 54.8 seconds left before the Thunder pulled away. Flagg sat out almost all of crunch time, checking out with 8:14 remaining and subbing back in only for a pair of late defensive possessions.

Mavs coach Jason Kidd credited Flagg for showing he’s a “tough kid” by playing through pain but said the decision to sit the 18-year-old down the stretch was based on giving the Mavs the best chance to win.

“It wasn’t his night tonight,” Kidd said. “We’re a team, and so understand that the group that was out there put us in the position to win the game. He wasn’t on the floor, but he was cheering for his teammates.”

Flagg acknowledged that being on the bench during crunch time was something he had never experienced, but he had no issue with Kidd’s decision.

“The way the game was going, we had a group out there that was doing really well and was on a run, so I see where Coach was at with that,” Flagg said. “And I mean, I was flat. I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t impacting the game at a high level, wasn’t doing the right stuff. So obviously, that’s an easy decision for Coach. He was just out there trying to win the game.”

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Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg doesn’t anticipate his shoulder injury will be a problem going forward.

Speaking to reporters after Monday’s 101-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Flagg said his shoulder is “a little sore” and he will have some scans done, but expects to be “good to go.”

Flagg appeared to injure his left shoulder on the first possession of the game while boxing out for a rebound. He was able to stay in and play 31 minutes, but head coach Jason Kidd pulled him with 8:14 remaining when they were trailing by 19.

Dallas cut the deficit to 95-91 with 1:25 remaining and Flagg was subbed back in twice for defensive purposes. He finished the game with just two points on 1-of-9 shooting, two rebounds, two steals and no assists.

On the heels of a disastrous three-month stretch at the end of last season that started with trading Luka DonÄić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, the Mavs got the ultimate bail out in the lottery when they won the No. 1 pick in a year with a superstar prospect at the top of the class.

Flagg will be counted on to be the new face of the franchise, but the early returns from his rookie season show there’s a lot of room for growth with him and the team around him.

Monday’s loss dropped the Mavericks to 1-3. They rank last in the NBA in offense by rating and points per game. Things will improve as the season goes on, especially when they get Kyrie Irving back from a torn ACL.

Ultimately, though, the most important thing for Dallas this season is Flagg’s development. He has NBA-ready tools despite being just 18 years old, but there’s going to be a transition period before he is completely able to dominate at this level.

Losing any reps early in his career is a setback for Flagg, but the Mavs also have to be careful to ensure they aren’t risking him doing any long-term damage to his body.

The Mavericks are off on Tuesday before hosting the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

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  Tim MacMahonOct 26, 2025, 11:59 PM ET

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  • Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
  • Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
  • Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM

DALLAS — Rookie Cooper Flagg caught the look-ahead pass as he crossed the half-court line, took one dribble and a couple of more long strides and launched for a spectacular and-1 slam dunk.

The finish over the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili elicited a roar from the crowd at the American Airlines Center, a far cry from the scattered boos heard during the Dallas Mavericks’ 0-2 start to the season. It was the highlight of an excellent all-around performance in the first NBA victory for Flagg, the No. 1 draft pick who finished Sunday night’s game with 22 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

“The fans have showed up for the first three games, and I thought tonight was really the first time we gave ’em something to be excited for and be on their feet for,” Flagg said after the 139-129 win over the Raptors.

The Mavs snapped out of their early-season offensive funk with seven Dallas players scoring in double figures, led by 25 points from power forward Anthony Davis and 24 from guard D’Angelo Russell, who added a team-high six assists while thriving as the sixth man a game after sitting out the entire second half due to a coach’s decision.

But the spotlight, as it often will this season, shined brightest on Flagg. According to ESPN Research, at 18 years and 309 days old, Flagg became the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to score at least 20 points in a game, trailing only Jermaine O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and LeBron James. Flagg joined Bryant as the only players to score at least 20 points without committing a turnover in a game before turning 19.

Flagg’s fingerprints were all over Dallas’ 26-9 run in the third quarter, a stretch in which it turned a seven-point deficit into a double-digit lead. He had seven points and three assists during the spurt, punctuating it with his poster dunk that prompted teammates to leap off the bench to celebrate.

AgeJermaine O’Neal18 years, 101 daysKobe Bryant18 years, 133 daysTracy McGrady18 years, 265 daysLeBron James18 years, 303 daysCooper Flagg18 years, 309 days

“When he’s getting the crowd going like that, our team feeds off it,” said Russell, who assisted Flagg on the and-1 dunk. “Everybody wants to see him do great. So when he’s performing like that, it’s contagious.”

Dallas center Dereck Lively II, who started the fast break with a defensive rebound and an outlet pass, offered his take.

“As soon as he took off, I knew it was going to be butter,” Lively said of Flagg. “He’s bringing his energy, getting him above the rim. The whole crowd loves it. That brings us alive.”

After entering the game ranked last in the league in offensive efficiency, the Mavs found the formula needed for them to play well on offense while superstar guard Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL he suffered in March. Dallas played fast and with force, scoring 25 fast-break points and 70 points in the paint while going 29-of-39 from the free throw line.

“It feels great. I’m excited,” Flagg said. “We want to build off tonight, use it as a baseline. This team needs to just keep building and getting better.”

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  Tim MacMahonOct 23, 2025, 02:32 AM ET

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  • Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
  • Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
  • Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM

DALLAS — On the first offensive possession of his NBA career, Cooper Flagg pushed the ball down the floor in transition, gave it up to Anthony Davis and soared into the air to catch the lob pass the 10-time All-Star tossed back to him, much to the delight of the sellout crowd at the American Airlines Center.

But Flagg couldn’t complete the highlight by throwing down the dunk. As the ball rattled out of the rim, he crashed onto the baseline, landing on his backside.

It was a sequence that foreshadowed the No. 1 pick’s NBA debut — a lot of anticipation, but a disappointing result for Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.

Flagg went scoreless in the first half and finished with 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting as the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 125-92 rout Wednesday night. The 6-foot-9 Flagg started at point guard, a position he had never played until joining the Mavs, and committed three turnovers without recording an assist.

“Not great,” Flagg said when asked to assess his performance. “Obviously, didn’t play incredibly well, but we’ve got to move past it, turn our focus and start looking toward Friday [against the Washington Wizards].”

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The game was dominated by Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, who had 40 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Spurs guard Stephon Castle, the Rookie of the Year last season, added 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals while pestering Flagg as his primary defender.

“He didn’t shoot the ball well, but he seemed a lot more poised than I thought he would be,” Castle said of Flagg. “I mean, my first game I was out there nervous. He made some good reads. He didn’t seem too rattled, so I think he’ll have a great year.”

San Antonio guard Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick behind Flagg, had the more impressive debut. He scored 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting in 23 minutes off the bench.

Flagg, on the other hand, didn’t score until making a midrange jumper on the opening possession of the second half.

“Game one. I mean, he’s still a rookie,” said Davis, who had a team-high 22 points on 7-of-22 shooting as the Mavs’ offense sputtered. “You’re coming in and preseason was obviously good, but when that game one comes around [in a] packed stadium, national TV game … I’m not sure if he’s a social media guy or not, but you saw it — everything was No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and Wemby match up and all this stuff. So you start hearing it, and I’m not sure if it got to him, but it’s first-game jitters when it’s time for the real thing. So he’ll be fine.”

Flagg did manage to become the fifth Dallas player to record a double-double in his NBA debut, grabbing 10 rebounds in his 32 minutes. That list includes his coach, Jason Kidd, who didn’t consider the 18-year-old’s debut to be discouraging.

“I thought he played well. Now, the stat line is not going to say that, but no one in this room is sitting in his shoes. As a rookie, he did fine and he’s going to learn from this game. We all will, and we’ll be better next time we take the floor,” Kidd said.

According to ESPN Research, the Mavs scored only eight points on the 19 possessions that Flagg brought the ball up the floor. He is listed as the point guard in a supersized lineup in which 6-foot-6 Klay Thompson is the shortest player, but the Mavs intend to have forwards P.J. Washington and Davis share the playmaking responsibilities with the rookie in a system designed around player and ball movement.

“We just got a little stagnant,” Flagg said. “It’s early, so we got to keep working on that, figure it out, get our flow a little bit better.”

Flagg attempted only two shots from the floor in the first half. He came out of halftime determined to be more aggressive, going 4-of-11 from the floor in the third quarter, when the Spurs outscored the Mavs by a 33-21 margin.

“I thought Cooper played within himself,” Kidd said. “He took what the defense gave him. He’s making plays. He’s diving on the floor. He’s one that’s not going to go out here and just shoot every time he touches it. He tries to play the game the right way, and I thought he did that in the first half. I thought he was comfortable and came out there in the third, started looking to be aggressive to take some shots that he knocked down.”

The Mavs were outscored by 29 points with Flagg on the floor, the worst plus-minus in the game.

“I’m excited to keep going,” Flagg said. “Obviously it hurts, the first loss being like that, but I’m just trying to look forward to the next one, turn the page and get ready. We know we got to be a lot better than that, so just staying positive and staying ready and just being locked in on the next one.”

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Victor Wembanyama dominated with 40 points as the San Antonio Spurs spoiled Cooper Flagg’s debut, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 119–91 at home on Wednesday.

Wembanyama recorded a monster double-double, adding 15 rebounds to his 40 points, along with three blocks and one steal, while shooting an efficient 15-of-21 from the field and controlling the game on both ends of the court.

Devin Vassell contributed 13 points and four assists, and Stephon Castle added 22 points and six assists to help secure the road win.

For the Mavericks, Flagg scored 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds while committing three turnovers. Anthony Davis led the team with 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Klay Thompson contributed 10 points.

Fans couldn’t stop reacting to Wembanyama’s jaw-dropping season debut.

San Antonio held a slim nine-point lead at halftime after a back-and-forth first half. Flagg finished the half without a bucket or an assist but pulled down six rebounds, while Wembanyama was already up to 21 points and eight rebounds.

The Spurs pulled away in the third, opening a 21-point lead and cruising through a dominant fourth quarter. Although Flagg sparked a late rally in his game, it was too little, too late for the Mavericks, who had allowed San Antonio to build a lead they couldn’t overcome.

With the win, the Spurs improved to 1–0 to start the season and will aim to extend their momentum on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Meanwhile, the Mavericks will try to rebound at home Friday when they host the Washington Wizards.

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After a summer in which he chopped 4.18 seconds from the HSR in three chunks, Lutkenhaus got a valuable taste of international racing at the World Champs. (KEVIN MORRIS)

IN A SEASON FULL of great performances, assuredly the single best moment for a high schooler came on the final afternoon of the USATF Championships when sophomore Cooper Lutkenhaus stormed from the back of a pack of pros to nearly steal the 800 final, finishing 2nd in a mind-blowing 1:42.27.

The 16-year-old from Northwest High School in Judson, Texas, might have been our High School Athlete Of The Year even without that record-crushing mark, but that moment engraved his prep legacy in stone, making him the 79th athlete to win those laurels in a list of greats that stretches back to â€47.

“Itâ€s definitely the race I hold closest to my heart,†Lutkenhaus says.

A 1:47.58 performance the year before gave him the 9th grade national record, so even with modest improvement, Lutkenhaus had been expected to challenge Michael Granvilleâ€s HSR of 1:46.45, one that the California prep set 29 years earlier. Lutkenhaus looked on target indoors, blasting a 1:46.86 to slash 0.81 off Josh Hoeyâ€s undercover HSR. (Continued below)

2025 HS Boys Athlete Of The Year Voting

A year after Quincy Wilson became the first soph to be chosen as our Boys AOY, Cooper Lutkenhaus becomes the second in the 76th edition of the coveted award. At 16 years old, Lutkenhaus brought down the HSR three times outdoors (and once indoors). His stunning 1:42.27 made him the youngest athlete on Team USA in Tokyo. It also would mark the end of his HSR-setting days, as he signed a Nike pro contract — the real deal, not an NIL, and will bypass the rest of his prep eligibility, along with the NCAA.

HSRs also fell to Wilson, 100 men Maurice Gleaton and Tate Taylor, as well as Tayvon Kitchen in the 3000.

This yearâ€s 14 vote-getters, with their All-Am events (* = junior; ** = soph):

1.
**Cooper Lutkenhaus
(Northwest, Justin, Texas)
800
220

2.
*Tate Taylor
(Harlan, San Antonio, Texas)
100, 200
175

3.
*Quincy Wilson
(Bullis, Potomac, Maryland)
400
162

4.
Owen Powell
(Mercer Island, Washington)
800, mile, 2M
144

5.
*Jackson Cantwell
(Nixa, Missouri)
shot
142

6.
Maurice Gleaton
(Hughes, Fairburn, Georgia)
100
119

7.
Jaâ€Shaun Lloyd
(Corsicana, Texas)
110H, 300/400H
91

8.
Tayvon Kitchen
(Crater, Central Point, Oregon)
2 Mile
61

9.
*Victor Olesen
(Saint Christopherâ€s, Richmond, Virginia)
pole vault
42

10.
*Kendrick Joshua
(Richmond Hill, Georgia)
300/400 hurdles
20

11.
Miles Nesmith
(Central, Memphis, Tennessee)
triple jump
14

12.
Ashton Hearn
(Christian Brothers, Memphis, Tennessee)
shot, discus
9

13.
Owen Spira
(Exeter-West Greenwich, West Greenwich, Rhode Island)
hammer
6

14.
Etoro Bassey
(Tompkins, Katy, Texas)
high jump
5

Click here to see our complete list of boys AOYs, starting with â€47.

Outdoors, he served notice at the Texas 6A Championships, running 1:47.04 for the win and scoring another PR with a 46.30 for 2nd in the 400. Two weeks later he ran his only mile of the season, a PR 4:06.33 for 2nd at the Lone Star Elite Invite. Then he took down the HSR — for the first time — at the Brooks PR meet on June 8, cruising a comfortable 1:46.26 to slice 0.19 off Granvilleâ€s standard.

He wasnâ€t done, not by a longshot. On June 21, he won the Nike Nationals with a 1:45.45, an improvement by 0.81. Then came the USATF, also in Eugene. Coming to the meet with an intent he described as “more of a learning experience than anything else,†he got through round 1 with a solid 1:47.23. Then, after nearly tumbling in his semi, he closed like a runaway train to snatch the last auto-qualifying spot finishing 2nd in 1:45.57. That missed his own HSR by just 0.12.

A 2-day rest set the stage for the performance that shocked the world. Using what he called “middle school tactics,†he hung back until the final 200. Thatâ€s when Lutkenhaus, the youngest in the race by more than 5 years, blasted the final furlong to race his way onto the team, finishing faster than any of the pros.

Much has been written about the time that popped up on the board, one that he stared at in shock. The 1:42.27 destroyed his own HSR by 3.3 seconds, while also breaking the American Junior Record of 1:43.55 that Donavan Brazier had set in winning the â€16 NCAA. It was the No. 2 time ever by a world U20 performer, after only Nijel Amosâ€s World Junior Record 1:41.73 that won silver at the â€12 Olympics.

With just over six weeks until the first round at the World Championships in Tokyo, Lutkenhaus had a weighty task before him: preparing for a significant extension of his season while trying to figure out the next move that could define his career.

On the first part, he said that he and coach Chris Capeau were planning to stick with what had worked. “The training is going to be very, very similar to what we have been doing.†His goal for Tokyo? “It doesnâ€t matter if I have the fastest time going in or the slowest time in my first race. Iâ€m going to leave it all out there on the track.â€

The career-defining part came in late August, when Lutkenhaus signed a contract with Nike and forfeited the rest of his prep career as well as his college eligibility. As much as some traditionalists might have decried it, the move made sense. A 1:42 performer isnâ€t going to find much meaningful competition at the prep level, and the financial benefits of going pro might certainly outweigh an NCAA career, even in the age of NIL.

Says Lutkenhaus, “I still do plan on attending college, because nothing in this sport is guaranteed.†As to where, he says he has only started shopping recently, and no decisions have been made.

First, though, came the World Championships. Unfortunately for the youngest member of Team USA, the spark he felt in Eugene wasnâ€t quite there; everyone knew it would be a tough ask. He ran to a non-advancing 7th in his heat, his 1:47.68 over a second short of what he needed. “It was definitely tough walking off that track. I felt like I could have been able to do a little more out there, but I feel like I did as much as I could in the first round.â€

His takeaway: “Just knowing the racing is different. High school races are definitely different than World Championship racing. Just knowing that nothing in the sport is guaranteed. You might be a 1:41 guy, but you still might not make the finals.â€

He adds, “Every race is a little bit different. I guess that ‘middle school†tactic was just kick with 200 to go. I wouldnâ€t say that was really the plan coming into [the World Championships], but I think something thatâ€s so important that I learned is every race is different, especially in the prelims… When you get to this championship setting, youâ€re going to be coming through 53, 54 seconds, and then, you know, everybodyâ€s still going to have a kick with 200 to go when youâ€re coming through that slow.â€

With his return to the hallways at Northwest, Lutkenhaus still has to navigate the changes that his incredible season have brought to his life. He notes, “I feel like Iâ€ve been doing this running thing for a long time, even though itâ€s only been about two years. A lot of my kids at my school kind of realized I was pretty good at this. I donâ€t think this good, but you know itâ€s almost pretty normal in a way at my school now. ‘Oh,†they say, ‘Cooper runs 1:42.†Now they donâ€t know what that means…â€

The son of the athletic director adds, “Iâ€ve grown up at Northwest High School, so all the teachers, theyâ€ve seen me since I started learning how to walk, so just always being around them, they understand whatâ€s been going on.â€

One point that Coach Capeau had raised earlier in the season was that the Lutkenhaus family provided the perfect support for their son to reach this level. Cooper agrees, adding, “This is always a sport Iâ€ve enjoyed. So whenever I find something I have enjoyment in, I always pull everything I have into it. I always wanted to be good at this sport. I didnâ€t know this was possible, especially at this age. But to be able to do it at 16 is definitely different. Not many people have been able to do that. So just enjoying all the little moments with my family, you know, good and bad, I think thatâ€s the most important part.â€

At the TAFNOT Tour banquet in Tokyo, a post-race Lutkenhaus dealt with the question of whether this season — and his moment on the big stage in National Stadium — was possibly too much too soon. Had he been ready for it all?

He had no regrets, he said, and in a similar situation wouldnâ€t hesitate. “Iâ€ll go for it, right? Again, nothingâ€s guaranteed in four years. You donâ€t know where youâ€re going to be. You donâ€t know… youâ€re going to be a whole different person in four years.

“So taking the opportunity when itâ€s given to you, especially being so young, itâ€s everything to gain but nothing to lose. You know, I went out here and gave everything I had. Obviously, it wasnâ€t the results I really wanted, but… I mean, itâ€s been a great year.â€

Jeff Hollobaugh is a writer and stat geek who has been associated with T&FN in various capacities since 1987. He is the author of How To Race The Mile. He lives in Michigan where he can often be found announcing track meets in bad weather.

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Ahead of his NBA debut on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg has already been warned about what it’s like to go up against star big man Victor Wembanyama.

“I have obviously seen tape. I have never seen him play in person,” Flagg told reporters Tuesday when asked about facing Wembanyama in his first career game. “From what the guys have told me, he’s kind of something you have never seen before, and you can’t really understand that till you see it in person.”

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Wembanyama has shown the makings of a phenom who could eventually become the face of the league. The 21-year-old was named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year and finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in blocks. His sophomore campaign was cut short after 46 games due to the discovery of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, though he led the league in blocks for the second straight year.

Flagg had also been pegged as a future superstar well before his freshman season at Duke, and he lived up to expectations on the college level by earning National Player of the Year honors. The Mavs lucked into the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft despite having less than two percent odds to win the lottery, and they unsurprisingly selected him to assume the mantle of the future face of the franchise.

Both Flagg and Wembanyama represent a new breed of do-it-all type players, as their defensive skills will be just as important to their respective teams as their offensive production. Still, with Wembanyama entering his third year in the league, he will be much further along in his development as he tries to help the Spurs end their rebuild and contend for a playoff spot.

The Dallas-San Antonio rivalry is one of the fiercest rivalries in the NBA, so Flagg and Wembanyama will be tied together for quite some time as they battle it out each year.

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Rookie patches are about to change the hobby again — only this time in the NBA.

Fanatics recently announced it will include Rookie Debut Patches for players starting with the upcoming NBA season.

Even though the season hasnâ€t begun yet, the chase is already on for the most coveted of all those NBA Rookie Debut Patch cards — the Dallas Mavericks†Cooper Flagg.

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The Rookie Debut Patch Autographed card has already become one of the most collectible modern cards. In March, the MLB Rookie Debut Autographed Patch card of Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes sold for $1.1 million to Dickâ€s Sporting Goods.

That sale turned a lot of heads, thrusting modern baseball card collecting into the spotlight — a space long dominated by vintage cards.

The question as we head into the NBA season: Can Flaggâ€s Rookie Debut Patch card beat that number?

Itâ€s quite possible.

There are a couple of elements that could boost Flaggâ€s card over the Skenes record.

The first is the international appeal of the NBA. It has a massive global following, especially in Asia, where many of the most sought-after NBA cards have ended up.

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The league has held preseason games in Asia since 2004, including two games in Macau this year that coincided with the Asia Sports Collectors Convention (ASCC). The ASCCâ€s special guest signers were also overwhelmingly former NBA stars, including Dwyane Wade, Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett.

Topps added another international layer last week, launching its first NBA product in 15 years — 2025-26 NBA Match Attax — exclusively in China.

Another factor: Many of the top modern card sales have been basketball cards. Of the top five sales in 2025 so far, all have been modern NBA cards, with four of the five sold privately.

Those cards have ranged from $2.3 million to $12.9 million and have featured some of the NBAâ€s all-time greats, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Luka DonÄić.

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Adding the layers of a robust international market, and private collectors seeking high-end cards, there may well be a person or group willing to take a gamble on Flaggâ€s Rookie Debut Autographed Patch when it hits the market later this season.

The NBA tips off the 2025-26 season on Oct. 21, with Flagg and the Mavericks’ first game coming on Oct. 22. Itâ€s safe to say many eyes will be on that game as fans wait to see what the newest rookie can do.

If Flagg lives up to the hype, donâ€t be shocked if his card becomes the most expensive Rookie Debut Patch card ever.

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If Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has decided Cooper Flagg will begin the regular season as the starting point guard, he isn’t saying it publicly.

Following the Mavs’ 121-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in their preseason finale on Wednesday, Kidd was noncommittal when discussing Flagg’s position going forward while also praising the “incredible job” the rookie has done:

“He’s got to keep an index of who got shots, what was the last shot, and that’ll come with reps. But I think [Flagg] has done an incredible job of handling the situation of running the team. And the other thing that I think that is going unnoticed is that his teammates enjoy him running the team.”

Flagg started at the point in Dallas’ final two preseason games. He was used at forward in the first two games, with D’Angelo Russell running the point in matchups against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets.

Regardless of the role he was playing, Flagg looked comfortable on the court in all four preseason games. He averaged 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in just under 22 minutes per game in the preseason.

The Mavs have challenged Flagg by letting him run the offense going back to the Summer League.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted Kidd became intrigued with the idea of using the No. 1 pick at the point when studying his tape from Duke because he saw echoes of Grant Hill’s game in the film.

Hill, like Flagg, had a traditional forward body with the ball-handling skill to lead an offense. The Detroit Pistons legend averaged at least five assists per game in each of his first seven seasons.

The Mavericks signed Russell in free agency to be a stop-gap point guard while they wait for Kyrie Irving to return from a torn ACL. He is a capable starter and also has experience coming off the bench.

Flagg could be one of the smaller starters in this Mavs lineup when everyone is healthy. The other players on the court with him will be Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II.

Given the size that Dallas can put on the court, if Flagg can run the offense right out of the gate, this team could be very difficult to stop.

We will find out what role Kidd has in mind for Flagg very soon. The Mavs will tipoff the regular season against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 22.

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  Tim MacMahonOct 16, 2025, 02:47 AM ET

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  • Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
  • Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
  • Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM

LAS VEGAS — Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised Cooper Flagg’s performance as the starting point guard in the team’s final two preseason games but stopped short of committing to opening the season with the 18-year-old rookie filling that role in a supersized starting lineup.

“There’s a lot of good, positive stories here, and so we have some time to make a decision,” Kidd said after the Mavs’ 121-94 win Wednesday over the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena, in which Dallas rallied after a slow start against an opponent resting most of its regular rotation players.

The 6-foot-8 Flagg shifted to point guard after starting the first two preseason games at forward, the position he played at Duke. He averaged 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists during his two starts at point guard in a lineup alongside 6-6 Klay Thompson, 6-7 P.J. Washington, 6-10 Anthony Davis and 7-1 Dereck Lively II.

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“He’s got to keep an index of who got shots, what was the last shot, and that’ll come with reps,” said Kidd, who started offseason free agency addition D’Angelo Russell at point guard in the Mavs’ first two preseason games. “But I think [Flagg] has done an incredible job of handling the situation of running the team. And the other thing that I think that is going unnoticed is that his teammates enjoy him running the team.”

But Kidd said he thought the Mavs’ offense was too stagnant early in Wednesday’s game, when the Lakers jumped out to a 22-10 lead before Flagg subbed out midway through the first quarter. There are spacing concerns with that lineup because of a relative lack of playmaking and perimeter shooting, as the Mavs’ starters shot 3-of-15 from 3-point range against the Lakers.

“Just continuing to get comfortable,” Flagg said. “I made some mental lapses today, time and score situations. Got to know [and] be aware of what’s on the clock at all times. Just got to stay more attached [defensively]. Can’t let a hot player keep getting looks. So some of those things you can definitely clean up.”

Flagg, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, struggled early in Wednesday’s game while defending Gabe Vincent, who had 18 points and hit five 3s in the first 4 minutes, 9 seconds.

“No matter if you’re 6-4, 6-2 or 6-8, when you’re in a pick-and-roll in this league against guys who know how to run the pick-and-roll, it’s hard,” Kidd said. “It becomes a two-man game, and we’ll get better at that. But [with] his competitiveness, he’s going to figure it out sooner than later, and the more he’s in these situations, I think the long run he’s going to benefit.”

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