The Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks meet for the first time in the 2025-26 season. The Pistons have been one of the top teams in the NBA this year, especially in the Eastern Conference. With a 21-5 record, the Pistons sit atop the East, 2.5 games over the New York Knicks, who recently won the 2025 NBA Cup.
The Dallas Mavericks have had a different start to the campaign, not able to win games at a consistent level. With a 10-17 record, the Mavs are 12th in the West and have a long way to get where they want to go.
Despite the rough start, rookie Cooper Flagg has been playing extremely well. Pistons' star Cade Cunningham has taken notice.
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“Man, he's been killing it. He just had like what, 42, the other night? To be at his age doing that already, he's got a bright future ahead. We already knew that coming in. That's special. I think he's been doing a great job. A lot of different things have came at him as far as responsibilities and I think more than anything, through his struggles, he's kept composure and handed it well. I think the mindset is something that's gonna get him a long way in the league, for sure.”
The 18-year-old is averaging 18.4 points per game, adding 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest. Flagg is shooting just under 50% from the field but has struggled from deep, shooting just 25% on the year. This game against the Pistons will be a good test for him, as the Pistons play very physically and will have the bodies to throw many different defenders at Flagg.