Cooper Flagg had arguably his best all-around performance in the NBA in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers , tallying 13 points to go along with his career-high of 11 assists and seven rebounds.
What allowed him to impact the game on so many different levels? According to the Dallas Mavericks ' head coach, Jason Kidd, it's the type of defenders Flagg didn't have to face last night.
"I think when you look at his ability to go against the best wing defender, the Thompson twins, Dillon Brooks, the pressure that he was under playing the point guard position, his calmness, his understanding, his basketball IQ is extremely high. Being able to playmake will only help him when he doesn't have those type of guys on him. Tonight, he was really good for us. He only had one turnover but 11 assists," Kidd said postgame.
Entering the NBA, everyone saw the Duke University product as a forward. But Kidd decided to experiment with Flagg playing point guard — not only due to Kyrie Irving 's absence but also to challenge Flagg and push him out of his comfort zone on the court.
Flagg admitted that he initially didn't know how to handle point guard duties , but as time goes on, he is becoming more comfortable in his new role.
"Just being comfortable. Taking what the defense gives me, playing with good pace. Just slowing down," Flagg responded when asked about how much he's grown since opening night. "Just be confident. Obviously, you're going to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Just play through it, be confident in making decisions and trust instincts."
Flagg took full advantage of the Lakers' shortage of an athletic 3-D wing defender, as his point guard skills were on full display on Friday night. He was a big reason why the Mavericks shot 43.8 percent from 3-point range and generated 42 points inside the paint.
"I thought we got to our spots well, spaced the floor well. Got to a lot of good actions and just finding guys in their spots," Flagg said .
Kidd has made it clear that Flagg will not be permanently playing the point guard position for the Mavericks. It's merely an experiment to see how he takes on the challenge.
But not everyone is a fan of it.
Even Kidd's eldest son, Trey Jason, criticized his dad's decision to play Flagg as a point guard. Despite that, the NBA legend remains confident he's doing the right thing for the 18-year-old's growth as a player.
"There's a couple of things behind him playing (PG). One is our health…The other part of handling the ball is being able to handle the pressure when April comes around, and you're playing for something greater," Kidd said .
The Mavericks are 5-15 on the season, currently sitting in 14th place in the Western Conference. But Flagg is hardly to blame for their poor start. In 19 games, he's averaging 15.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists on 45.1 percent from the field.
Unfortunately for him — and the Mavericks — injuries have been a persistent problem for the team, depriving them of a real opportunity to rack up wins. That's why the best way to make use of this season is what Kidd is doing — putting his future franchise cornerstone in uncomfortable situations to accelerate his development.
Hopefully, his plan works.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
