Dallas Mavericks history changed forever on Wednesday night when they selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Dallas had been locked in on selecting Flagg with the first pick for weeks, as they won the NBA Draft Lottery back in May with just a 1.8 percent chance of doing so.
Flagg began his first visit to Dallas as a member of the Mavericks on Friday morning with an extravagant welcome that the Mavs organized on the Love Field tarmac as soon as he stepped foot off Mavs owner Patrick Dumont's private jet, before heading to the Mavs' practice facility for his introductory press conference alongside Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison. While all of the focus from this presser was mostly on Flagg and his excitement to be a Maverick, Kidd had one of the most intriguing quotes of the day as he discussed Flagg's game and where he envisions him playing.
Multiple times, Kidd mentioned that he wants to play Flagg at point guard to see how he handles that challenge, and giving Flagg a major load within the Mavs' offense right away could be key to his success.
Kidd's plan to put Flagg at point guard will jumpstart his development
"I want to put him at point guard, make him feel uncomfortable," Kidd said. "See how he reacts."
Kidd also talked about how he wants to give Flagg the ball in the first game of Summer League against the Los Angeles Lakers and "see what happens," and while Flagg is nowhere close to being a true point guard, putting him in these situations early could be key to him becoming a future star.
During his coaching stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, Kidd allowed Giannis Antetokounmpo to handle the ball often early in his career, and that led to him developing into one of the best two-way players in the NBA. Using Antetokounmpo like that was likely an unpopular move at the time, but it allowed him to become much more comfortable with the ball in his hands and in the open floor.
Mavericks fans will be hoping that the same can happen for Flagg, and Kidd putting Flagg into this "uncomfortable" position right away is something to expect. He is going to be handling the ball early and often, and his skills will have him prepared for that. Flagg even noted that his biggest improvement while at Duke was "getting comfortable with the ball in (his) hands," and him going through this last season was the perfect preparation for what he will soon go through as a Maverick.
Flagg is an exceptional passer, and his ball handling and athleticism are extremely advanced for an 18-year-old 6-foot-9 forward. If Kidd does decide to let Flagg run some point guard at Summer League, and it works out to a certain degree, then that would ultimately give him the green light to give Flagg a heavy load as a ball handler to begin his NBA career.
This isn't to say that he will be bringing the ball up every time down the floor, but him getting a feel for the game right away and being a key piece of the Mavs' offense is going to help him learn fast to prepare him for the final stretch of the season once Kyrie Irving returns from injury.
Harrison made it clear that Flagg's presence helps add to their plan to win a title right now, but he also understands that the Mavericks will be Flagg's team before we know it. Kidd's plan to allow him to handle the ball will force him to become a focal point of the offense right away, and while some growing pains could come with that, it will be worth it in the end.
It has been obvious over the years that Kidd is okay with, and accepts failure sometimes, and in the long run, his plan to make Flagg "uncomfortable" and throw him into the fire right away could pay off.
Flagg will be prepared for this challenge from Kidd, as his workouts for the months heading up to the draft specifically prioritized "adding layers to his advanced skill set while challenging him to continue to make reads at a high level," according to a source familiar with Flagg's pre-draft process.
In these workouts, Flagg was challenged to "make reads at a high level," and they focused on helping him "maintain advantages." This is crucial when handling the ball, as it allows him to stay one step ahead of the defense while making quick decisions within the flow of the offense.
The hard work never stops for Flagg, as one league source noted that he remained locked in on workouts while in New York City for the NBA Draft, showing that he'll be ready for whatever the Mavericks throw his way.
