Cooper Flagg`s arrival at the Dallas Mavericks presents an unusual situation for a top draft pick. Unlike prospects heading to teams focused on rebuilding, Flagg joins a roster already featuring experienced stars like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, built for immediate success.
Integrating Flagg into the existing squad was a key topic during coach Jason Kidd`s press conference. The team already has a surplus of wing players, raising questions about lineup configuration that will need addressing before the season. Potential solutions might involve trades, perhaps of a player like PJ Washington, though a move involving Davis is highly improbable.
Furthermore, the Mavericks face the absence of their starting point guard, Kyrie Irving, for at least half the season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Despite this, Coach Kidd is already considering utilizing Flagg in a ball-handling role.
Kidd stated, “I don`t look at the position… I want to put him at the point guard. I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts.” He elaborated on the goal of having Flagg “run the show,” while also being able to play shooting guard or small forward. Although Flagg is comfortable at the three, Kidd emphasized the desire to challenge him, believing he will respond positively. Kidd also acknowledged that “It`s all right to fail. It`s all right to turn the ball over,” indicating patience with the developmental process.
While the Mavericks are actively seeking a point guard to compensate for Irving`s absence (meaning Flagg isn`t a direct replacement), Kidd`s remarks offer insight into the planned offensive approach. Regardless of who the team acquires at point guard this summer, it appears their primary role might be to facilitate the flow of the offense through either Flagg or Davis, rather than being the primary initiators themselves.
Kidd drew a parallel between potentially using Flagg as a point-forward and his experience coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo. During his time with the Bucks, Kidd was the first coach to empower Antetokounmpo with primary ball-handling duties. Initially, this didn`t yield immediate success, but over time, it proved crucial in developing Antetokounmpo into a multiple MVP winner, NBA champion, and future Hall of Famer.
Reflecting on that past experience, Kidd noted, “Just understanding the guys that I`ve been around that have been young, from Giannis, giving him the ball, and he failed. But he wanted to come back and have the ball…” He expressed excitement about giving Flagg similar opportunities from the start, stating, “I`m excited about giving [Flagg] the ball against the Lakers and see what happens. Let`s get it started right off the bat.”
Despite the potential for discomfort in a new role, Flagg seemed enthusiastic about the prospect of playing in the Mavericks` proposed free-flowing, positionless system.
Flagg commented, “I think with the team, looking at the roster, we can play a really good brand of positionless basketball with a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things.” He identified this versatility as potentially “one of the biggest strengths” of the team, expressing his intent to “play to that, and just doing whatever I can to help the team win.”
Fans will have their first opportunity to see Flagg potentially operate in a point-forward capacity during the Las Vegas Summer League. According to Marc Stein, he is expected to participate in Dallas`s initial two games, facing the Lakers and then the Spurs. The NBA Summer League commences on July 10th, with Flagg`s matchup against Bronny James and the Lakers scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Jasper Hawthorne