After Cooper Flagg's 31-point masterclass for the Dallas Mavericks against the San Antonio Spurs at NBA Summer League in his second game, Dallas decided to shut Flagg down. They didn't need to see anything else out of him, and it was always their plan for him to play just two games.
But Flagg wanted to show the world even more, and he wasn't ready for his sold-out show in Las Vegas to end early.
According to Spotrac's Keith Smith, Flagg asked the Mavericks to play in a third game to show everyone that his dominant game against the Spurs wasn't a "fluke," after he opened his NBA career with a quieter performance against the Los Angeles Lakers where he finished with 10 points while shooting 5-21 from the field.
Cooper Flagg asked to play another game at NBA Summer League
"Cooper comes to us and the coaches and asks to play a third game," a Mavericks front office executive told Smith. "We laughed and told him, ‘No. You’re good.’ And he goes, ‘I just don’t want people to think the good game was a fluke.’ All we could do was laugh, but it shows how much he wants to be great."
Ever since Flagg has arrived in Dallas, everyone has raved about how he comes to work with a great attitude, and seemingly, he wants to succeed as bad as he wants to breathe. Flagg has been known for being a hard worker for years, and he showcased his incredible work ethic during his visit to Dallas during the pre-draft process.
Flagg didn't have to go through an on-court workout, but he insisted, showing the coaching staff and everyone who was in attendance how polished his game was. Despite some concern from fans about his jump shot initially, he lit it up from downtown in that workout, leaving no doubt about whether his shot would translate to the NBA or not.
Flagg going through a voluntary pre-draft workout for the Mavericks when they were already locked in on drafting him was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to getting an inside look at who he is as a person, and him asking Dallas' front office and coaching staff to play in another game shows just how dedicated to his craft he is.
Flagg is a relentless worker and a winner, and if it were up to him, he likely would have played in all five of the Mavericks' Summer League games. Even though he didn't play in the Mavs' final three Summer League games, he was on the bench for the third and fourth games, spending time with his teammates and encouraging them from the bench.
Flagg not playing in the team's final three games shows how the organization feels about him, and everyone is clearly excited to welcome him to the city and the team. As a rookie, he is poised to start alongside D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and either Klay Thompson or P.J. Washington, and Mavs fans will quickly realize why the organization was so excited to draft him and make him one of the new franchise cornerstones.
Flagg is poised to bring defense, tenacity, athleticism, and all-around versatility to a Mavericks team that is desperate to make some noise next season after missing the playoffs last season and being under fire for trading Luka Doncic, and they are going to be in a great spot to be a potential contender in the West thanks to the current roster they have, but also thanks to Flagg and everything he brings on and off the floor.
