The Cooper Flagg era has officially begun -- in Dallas, and in the NBA.
The Dallas Mavericks' top pick made his NBA debut Wednesday, taking the floor for his first professional action against an in-state rival in the San Antonio Spurs. All eyes were on the 18-year-old, who became the second-youngest player to start in their first-ever NBA game.
It wasn't an easy first task for Flagg, who stood opposite another highly touted former No. 1 pick in Victor Wembanyama. Just as Flagg's debut was anticipated, so, too, was Wembanyama's first action in eight months.
With a sold-out American Airlines Center crowd and a national television audience looking on, Flagg shared the spotlight with Wembanyama. The Sporting News watched and graded Flagg's first-ever NBA action.
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Grading Cooper Flagg's NBA debut
To begin his career, Flagg would get the start at point guard, a stark contrast from the point-forward responsibilities he had at Duke.
While it was an admirably ambitious choice by head coach Jason Kidd, it may have hindered Flagg early on.
From an outside perspective, there was no question that Flagg belonged on the court, but at times, he appeared unsure of himself on the offensive end. Early on, Flagg was tentative, passing up on shot opportunities, second-guessing spots to be aggressive, and mistiming connections with teammates.
Flagg entered the halftime break with 0 points and seven rebounds, with both of his two shot attempts coming in the first quarter.
The consensus around Flagg's first-half performance was that he needed to have a marked shift in aggression, which, in fairness, is difficult to do when the focus is to initiate offense from the point guard position. As ESPN's Jay Bilas noted on the broadcast, however, Flagg could have shown more assertiveness when he moved without the ball.
Far from ideal, Flagg missed eight of his first nine field goals.
To open the second half, Kidd drew up a play to set Flagg up on a handoff from Dereck Lively II. Sometimes, it's as simple as seeing one go through.
Cooper Flagg's first NBA bucket! 💯@AmericanExpress NBA Tip-Off on ESPN pic.twitter.com/HZ8CDWsvPs
— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2025
Flagg did see a few more go through, connecting on three more field goals in the third quarter to enter the final frame with eight points and 10 rebounds. Respectable as those numbers were, Dallas entered the fourth quarter trailing, 93-72.
The stats Flagg amassed were more than just window dressing, as the scoring represents a shift in aggression that he can take with him to Game 2, and beyond.
While a 10-10 double-double is nothing to scoff at in an NBA debut, the Mavericks will need more from their No. 1 pick to reach the lofty expectations they've set for themselves.
When assessing the performance, it is easy to play the blame game or point fingers. Starting Flagg at point guard may have been placing him at a disadvantage from a scoring standpoint, but there are better ways that he could have approached the role once he knew he would take it.
All in all, it is Flagg's first-ever game, and he's only 18 years old. On Wednesday, we were reminded why it's important not to crown anyone too soon and to let them grow into who they will become.
It wasn't what many may have expected, but Flagg is going to be just fine.
Grade: C
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Cooper Flagg stats vs. Spurs
Flagg finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and a steal, but notably failed to record an assist in a game where he started at the point guard position.
Here is a closer look at the stat line:
Minutes: 31
Points: 10
Rebounds: 10
Assists: 0
Steals: 1
Turnovers: 3
FG: 4-13 (30.8%)
3P: 0-1 (0.0%)
FT: 2-2 (100.0%)