Dallas Mavericks rookie and No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg made his highly anticipated professional debut on Thursday night at the Las Vegas Summer League, recording 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block in 32 minutes of action. The Mavericks narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 87–85.
Flagg, 18, showed flashes of his elite two-way potential but struggled with efficiency, finishing 5-of-21 from the field and going scoreless in the second half.
“Not up to my standard, but I’m going to regroup; I’m going to be all right,” Flagg told ESPN postgame. “This is a new feeling, new environment, new teammates, but the guys settled down.”
Despite his shooting woes, Flagg’s presence energized the Thomas & Mack Center crowd. His defensive sequences, particularly early possessions matched up against Lakers guard Bronny James, drew loud reactions. James, in his second Summer League outing, scored eight points, including the Lakers’ first five, but missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds.
Ryan Nembhard led the Mavericks with 21 points, while Miles Kelly added 17. Cole Swider paced the Lakers with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Dalton Knecht and DJ Steward chipped in with 15 and 14, respectively. Darius Bazley led all players with 11 rebounds.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, speaking during ESPN’s halftime broadcast, praised Flagg’s composure in his first taste of professional-level competition.
“I think when you have someone like Cooper who can handle, shoot, and pass, you want the ball in his hands,” Kidd said. “He’s going to have some mistakes… but his poise as an 18-year-old is incredible.”
Flagg endured a slow start, missing his first two shots, but bounced back in the first quarter with an explosive stretch. Between the 4:35 and 2:49 marks, he scored six straight points for Dallas, highlighted by a coast-to-coast steal and a one-handed dunk.
“He’s handled the ball, he’s gotten wide-open shots for teammates, he’s finished,” Kidd added. “I think you’ve seen a lot of what he can do in this league.”
Flagg finished the first half with 5-of-15 shooting, three rebounds, and an assist. The Lakers frequently double-teamed him in the backcourt, a strategy Kidd said was “out of respect.”
Dallas will return to Summer League action later this weekend, with fans eager to see how the top pick bounces back.
Additional Report from Reuters
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