Cooper Flagg has many traits that made him the obvious choice for the Mavericks with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft: he’s a high-level defender, a talented shot-maker, and an underrated passer. However, there’s one trait of his that head coach Jason Kidd is most impressed by, according to Eddie Sefko of NBA.com: his toughness.
“His willingness to compete at a high level and his willingness to be uncomfortable,” Kidd said about what parts of Flagg’s games stood out early on. “*He absorbs that. I think those are his superpowers. His winning DNA – he stood in line a little bit longer to get that at a very high level. He’s all about winning.*”
Kidd spoke excitedly about Flagg, as well as Dereck Lively II, both in terms of their future growing together, but also their ability to impact winning in the near-term. That quality, along with the toughness, is what Kidd values the most in Flagg.
“It’s not about how many shots he gets or how many minutes or how many times he touches the ball,” Kidd said. “He’s about the team. He’s about winning. That’s the biggest thing that stands out — he competes to win.”
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After two games played, Flagg is figuring out the chemistry with his new teammates and is continuing to search for the best ways to blend with fellow frontcourt star Anthony Davis. “I gotta find ways to help AD more,” he said, as relayed by Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis (Twitter video link). “*Play off him a little better. Help him impact the game when he’s posting up, getting his isos and whatnot. It’s been huge just trying to fit together. That’s what the preseason is for, just for us to come out and get that real game minutes together and kind of gel.*“
While Flagg had five turnovers in Saturday’s 120-116 loss to the Hornets, the Mavs are not concerned with him experimenting and finding the limits of his playmaking during preseason, writes Sefko. Of more concern is the fact that the team was badly beaten in the rebounding battle, with the Hornets pulling down 54 boards to the Mavs’ 37. Given Dallas’ jumbo-sized lineup of Flagg, Davis, and Lively, Sefko writes that the team expects to be one of the best rebounding squads in the league. It will likely have to be, given the shooting sacrifices that such a lineup would entail. Sekfo notes that Kidd addressed the issue, saying it will be a point of emphasis for the rest of the preseason.
The Mavs’ owner, Patrick Dumont, was present for the matchup between the Nets and Suns in Macao, reports Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Townsend writes that Dumont was a part of the effort to rebuild the NBA’s relationship with China, and that he believes there’s a good chance the Mavs will play in China during the 2026 preseason.