Cooper Flagg was the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft because he’s a versatile, 6-foot-9 do-it-all wing. But what will he be for the Dallas Mavericks in his rookie season and beyond?
That’s the question coach Jason Kidd and his staff are beginning to answer.
It started at NBA Summer League with a good old-fashioned point-guard boot camp.
The Mavericks weren’t afraid to experiment with Flagg in his two games in Las Vegas. Flagg consistently brought the ball up the floor, dealing with pressure from opposing defenders. He operated in pick-and-rolls and was the Mavs’ primary decision-maker. While the results were mixed, the start to Flagg’s NBA journey provided a glimpse into the future for this generational prospect.
This isn’t the first time Kidd and his staff boldly used a young phenom’s skillset. Back in 2016, when Kidd coached the Milwaukee Bucks, he told the world his plans to put the ball in the hands of a young 6-foot-11 wing. You might know his name: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Eight years later, Antetokounmpo is the Bucks’ offensive hub and has averaged at least five assists every season since Kidd first planted those seeds.
Flagg isn’t new to handling the ball. In his lone season at Duke, Cooper led the team in assists, had nearly a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and used 129 possessions as the pick-and-roll ballhandler.
But there will still be a learning curve to playing on the ball at the NBA level, one that was evident during his two summer league games. As the video above shows, Flagg often struggled with his handle and creating separation. He also had several intriguing moments that showed off the potential for him to become the league’s next great point forward. Summer league was the perfect arena for him and the Mavericks to test his pick-and-roll chops.
With Kyrie Irving sidelined for most of this season, there will be more opportunities for Flagg to stretch his legs with the ball in his hands. And with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington up front, Flagg might have to play on the perimeter more anyway.
The hope, then, is that the process that began at summer league bears fruit in the long run.
(Candice Ward / Imagn)