Cooper Flagg appears to be as good as advertised
LAS VEGAS — It's just Summer League, keep repeating it. It's not the regular season, nowhere near it, but if Cooper Flagg struggled again, it would be cause for concern on some levels.The No. 1 pick, though, looked mighty comfortable in his second Summer League game Saturday— and probably his last one here in Las Vegas. It took a quarter and a half to find his rhythm but a flurry followed: walk-up triples, dunks in transition, dunks in traffic. All in all,the showdown between the No. 1 pick and No. 2 pick Dylan Harperwas as good as it was expected to be, even if it wasn't advertised on the same level as Flagg's debut against the Los Angeles Lakers — and Bronny James. As a hyped American prospect with plenty of expectations and a likely target on his back to go along with the hope in his eyes, Flagg seems ready for the weight that will follow him — on and off the floor. "Same thing going into college, same expectations, same people talking about you," Flagg said. This is different, this is the Show, and he seems well aware of what's expected of him. He's passing these preliminary tests thus far. Flagg finished with 31 points and four rebounds against a physical defense that followed him from the point the ball was inbounded to him, while Harper wasn't exactly a slouch himself with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 monster block in transition. DYLAN HARPER GOT UP FOR THE BLOCK 🔼(via@NBATV)pic.twitter.com/QNU1nwBPqf — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)July 12, 2025 The only demerit on Flagg's performance was missing five of his 13 free-throw attempts in his 31 minutes. And if one cares about such things, the San Antonio Spurs did defeat the Mavericks, 76-69. The Mavericks fans in attendance couldn't care less about the final score, because once Flagg was pulled in the final minute, he was given a rousing ovation, and the fans weren't too far behind as they headed for the exits. They'd gotten their money's worth. "I got to the line a little bit better today, so missed a bunch of free throws," Flagg said. "You know, I know my mom probably wasn't very happy with that." In the front row of the Thomas & Mack stands sat several members of the Dallas Mavericks brain trust, starting with team architect Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd. They probably had to cover their mouths with laughter at some of the plays Flagg was making and the luck they've stumbled into, getting this level of talent following the season they had. They are probably not concerned about missed free throws, not in the least. Kidd made it known he wanted Flagg to play point guard in Summer League, to see how Flagg would fare in an uber-physical environment. Kidd did the same with Giannis Antetokounmpo when Antetokounmpo made his jump from raw athlete to polished freak of nature, and Kidd wants Flagg on a similar track, but quicker. Mavericks Summer League coach Josh Broghamer made note that in 60 minutes through two games, Flagg has committed just three turnovers. "I mean, I would say that's pretty good, especially with the ball pressure and, you know, Summer League spacing and all that stuff," Broghamer said. "We haven't knocked shots down here two games, and that's gonna allow people to be more aggressive against him. And he's handled it really, really well." The Mavericks signed D'Angelo Russell to serve as their point guard, especially as Kyrie Irving recovers from ACL surgery and is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season. But Flagg seems ready as a secondary playmaker to handle those duties, if two summer games are any indication. "I think I was pretty solid," Flagg said. "I think I was able to handle the ball against pressure and bring it up. So just depending on different matchups and what coach wants to, I think I did a solid job, for sure." Nobody's getting too far ahead, but it bears repeating time and again: Flagg's not even 19 yet, even as his basketball development hits the fast-forward button. "It's a new environment, new setting," Flagg said. "They want to see me be aggressive and do that type of stuff, so I was trying my best to just be aggressive and assert myself." It's just Summer League. Keep repeating it. But it's OK to look forward with wonderment.
Cooper Flagg appears to be as good as advertised LAS VEGAS — It's just Summer League, keep repeating it. It's not the regular season...
