Mavericks No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg made his Summer League debut on Thursday.
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg made his long-awaited Summer League debut Thursday, and the highly touted top pick admitted afterward that his performance left room for improvement.
The Mavericks picked up the 87-85 win, but Flagg had a rough night shooting. The former Duke star finished with 10 points on 5-of-21 from the field. He missed all five of his 3-point attempts. Flagg added add six rebounds, four assists and three steals and only had one turnover.
“Not up to my standard. But I’m going to regroup and be alright,” Flagg said. “It’s a new feeling, new environment, new teammates. … It’s a different game. A different pace, a different feel, different spacing. We’ll be alright.”
Flagg gave credit to his teammates — Miles Kelly and Ryan Nembhard — after the win. Kelly and Nembhard combined for 38 points in the victory.
“The guys held it down — Miles (Kelly), Ryan (Nembhard),” Flagg said. “They were amazing tonight. They had my back even though I didn’t have my best game. But I’m going to keep going for it.”
Flagg had some extra praise for Nembhard, who is looking to make a name for himself as an undrafted player.
“Ryan is incredible. The way he can pass and score the ball,” Flagg said of Nembhard, who also had five assists. “He does it at every level. He’s going to have a long career.”
Mavericks Want Ball in Cooper Flagg’s Hands
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd kept a close eye on Flagg during the game. ESPN’s Malika Andrews caught up with Kidd during the game and got his perspective on the role Flagg will play this year in Dallas.
“I think when you have someone like Cooper who can handle, who can shoot, who can pass, you want the ball in his hands. And so he’s a great decision-maker,” Kidd said. “He did that at Duke and also in high school, so you get to see it tonight. He’s going to have some mistakes. We all did. We all threw it in the stands once in a while. Just his poise as an 18-year-old is incredible.”
Flagg did play 33 minutes in the game, a high number for a Summer League debut.
“I think Cooper’s done an incredible job with all the minutes,” Kidd said. “He’s handled the ball, he’s gotten wide-open shots for teammates, he’s finished. I think you’ve seen a lot of what he can do in this league.”
Bronny James Struggles as Well in Hyped Matchup
On the other sideline, Bronny James entered the matchup with plenty of buzz as he gears up for his second NBA season. He scored five quick points but had a quiet night overall, finishing with eight points. He finished with eight points and was the only Lakers starter to post a negative plus-minus, checking in at minus-3.
However, James’ defense, particularly on Flagg, drew some positive praise from fans.
“Cooper can’t do anything with Bronny on him,” one fan said. “This kid’s defense is special.”
Another added: “Bronny is a beast defensively. That’s how he’s going to make a name in this league.”
James had an opportunity to win the game at the buzzer but missed the 3-point attempt.
