The Dallas Mavericks have shut Cooper Flagg down for the final few games of NBA Summer League, according to the Associated Press and other sources.
But not before Flagg proved why he’s already considered a generational talent as his professional career gets underway.
The 18-year-old rookie from Newport, Maine, dropped 31 points in 31 minutes during his second Summer League game on Saturday. That offensive showcase against the San Antonio Spurs likely quieted any doubters after a slower night shooting to start Summer League on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I think I did that a lot better today, just getting to the line, getting fouled, and that helped me to get comfortable and get settled in early,” Flagg said after his 31-point game in a loss to the Spurs, as reported by ESPN.
In prototypical Flagg fashion, he didn’t seem totally satisfied with his performance. As some of his past coaches have emphasized, he’s always looking for ways to improve, and it seems that approach will continue as Flagg gets settled in the NBA.
“Still missed a bunch of free throws,” Flagg added after Saturday’s Summer League game in Las Vegas. “I know my mom probably wasn’t very happy with that.”
Flagg’s mother, Kelly Flagg, told the Bangor Daily News earlier this year that she still gets upset when he misses free throws. She coached him in club basketball and played in college at the University of Maine.
That continued drive to be better was also evident after last week’s game against Los Angeles, when Flagg went 5-21 from the floor and called his Summer League debut “not up to my standard,” even though his defense and transition passing helped win the game for the Mavericks down the stretch. The rookie forward was also confident that he would “regroup,” which he did with authority on Saturday.
“I’ve been through all this before, same thing going into college, same expectations, same people talking about you,” Flagg added after Saturday’s game, according to the AP. “So, it’s just trusting the work, trusting all those hours, just knowing what I can do.”
Earl Anderson has a pretty good idea of what Flagg can do, having coached the number one overall pick during his freshman year of high school at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport. Flagg and his brothers Ace and Hunter helped lead the Warriors to a Class A state championship that season in 2022.
“Nothing bothers him,” Anderson said after Flagg’s Summer League debut last week. “He can have a bad play — doesn’t make many, but you know he can have a bad play or two — but it does not affect him.”
Flagg instinctively knows what his team needs in difficult moments, Anderson said.
“He’s just so good at righting the ship through adversity, when things aren’t going great,” Anderson said.
Flagg’s longtime player development coach, Matt MacKenzie, will continue training with Flagg ahead of Mavericks training camp, and said the collective focus for Flagg’s preparation will now be “getting his game, his body and his mind in a really good state so that he’s prepared for the 82-game season.”
The Dallas decision to shut Flagg down for the remainder of Summer League is not surprising or unprecedented for a first overall pick. Victor Wembanyama, the top pick in 2023 by San Antonio, similarly sat out his team’s remaining Summer League contests that year after a strong second game.
Next up will be the NBA preseason, which unlike Summer League will feature fuller team rosters rather than first and second year players looking to show what they can do. Preseason action will get underway in early October, and the regular season will kick off later that month.
Anderson watched how Flagg made everyone around him better en route to a Maine state title, and he expects the NBA rookie to continue being a dependable teammate at the highest level.
“There’s not a player on the planet that doesn’t become a better player when he’s on the floor,” Anderson said about Flagg. “He is a great teammate.”
Anderson expects that even NBA all-stars are “going to love” having Flagg on their team.
“He just plays the game the right way, and he is the ultimate teammate,” Anderson said. “That’s gonna be what he really brings to that Dallas team, and that becomes contagious.”
