Cooper Flagg had a forgettable Summer League debut with the Mavericks on Thursday night but still made key plays down the stretch in a 87-85 win over Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft posted 10 points in 27 minutes but misfired on 16 of his 21 shot attempts in his NBA debut in Las Vegas, including missing all five of his 3-point attempts. The rookie was able to be a key contributor in other facets of the game despite his subpar offense, chipping in with six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Flagg played in front of a packed house at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas with plenty of Lakers fans creating a fun atmosphere for Flagg in the nationally televised showdown.
The 18-year-old showed off his versatility throughout the contest, handling the ball well against Lakers ball pressure and only committing one turnover in the win despite his high usage. The Mavericks will be without their star point guard Kyrie Irving to begin the year so it will be intriguing to see how much Jason Kidd allows Flagg to be an initiator to the Dallas offense in his absence.
Flagg was bailed out offensively during his down night by Mavericks two-way guard Ryan Nembhard. The brother of the Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard led Dallas in points (21) and assists (5) in the victory as Flagg singled him out in his postgame interview with ESP.
“Not up to my standard. I’m gonna regroup and I’ll be alright,” Flagg said of his play.
The 6-foot-8 forward will get a chance to bounce back on Saturday afternoon when he faces off against the Spurs and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper.
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