Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg hasn't played a single NBA regular-season game yet in his career, but he already feels Jason Kidd has tested him.
The Duke University product's first challenge from his head coach was to play as a point guard during this year's Summer League to test how he'd orchestrate the offense, react, and read the defense.
"He wanted me to test myself and do a lot of new things," said Flagg via SLAM. "Be comfortable bringing the ball up and initiating offense in different actions. That was really the main thing. He wanted to test me and get [me] comfortable handling the ball and handling the pressure."
This quote by Flagg doesn't come as a surprise, considering that his head coach made it clear even before Summer League that he wants to make him uncomfortable right away . This shouldn't scare the rookie or Dallas Mavericks fans because Kidd's intentions are in the right place, which is to bring out the best in Flagg as early as his first year in the league.
This challenge, though, isn't new for Cooper because of his single season at Duke, where he was tasked to do the same by head coach Jon Scheyer. The difference is that the 6'9" versatile forward is going to be a running point on a veteran-laden Mavericks team, and he's confident that he's going to be just fine once again.
"It kind of is what it is and you're able to translate," Flagg stated . " You do what you can do and just play your own game and be confident in everything that you're doing."
During the Summer League, Flagg only played in two games but showed why he was the number one pick of the draft by averaging 20.5 points, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 blocks and 5.0 rebounds per game in 31.4 minutes. He played the point guard position per Kidd's request.
He showed glimpses of his shooting abilities by knocking down three-pointers and his playmaking chops by creating plays for his teammates in half-court sets and fastbreaks.
The NBA regular season is a completely different level compared to the Summer League and what makes Flagg's situation unique is that he's in a win-now situation with the Mavericks instead of a lottery team where first picks in the NBA Draft usually land.
Flagg will work alongside the likes of Anthony Davis , Klay Thompson , D'Angelo Russell, and Kyrie Irving when he gets healthy. That's why Kidd is bullish on challenging the 18-year-old right away to fit in with the team instead of being the system's focal point like he was during his time at Duke. After all, the coach believes playing on this Mavs team is the perfect opportunity for Flagg to grow his game .
"I think this is a great situation for him. When you talk about different guys that we have on the team, the pressure of living up to the No.1 will be a lot easier with the talent around him. When you talk about other clubs, he would have to, you know, produce right away on a high, high level," the Mavs head coach disclosed in his appearance on the "Dan Patrick Show."
It's an encouraging sign that the rookie took the challenge to heart, delivered, and said the right things since arriving in Dallas. Mavs fans and the whole NBA world can not wait to see him suit up for his rookie season and prove his worth against the league's best.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
