The Dallas Mavericks indeed made a strong statement in their preseason 106-89 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder . Going into the game, there was a lot of anticipation around Cooper Flagg , who did not disappoint, showcasing his versatility on both ends of the floor.
A little over a minute into the game, Flagg ignited the crowd at the Dickies Arena with a block on Isaiah Joe . Carrying on the momentum, he finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. Another impressive takeaway from his 14 minutes on the court is that he committed zero turnovers.
Coach Jason Kidd ensured that the team utilized its size to the fullest potential, with players like Anthony Davis , Dereck Lively II , Daniel Gafford and Moussa Cisse , among others. Postgame, Flagg shed further light on the subject by addressing playing alongside other bigs, especially AD.
"I think it's interesting, it's a different style of basketball that I haven't played with before, but it just allows me to expand my game, play on the perimeter a lot, and kind of just help the fluidity with AD, me, we both can play a guard position and just play that positionless basketball…Just having that size, it really plays into our advantage defensively," said the 6'8" Mavericks rookie.
The excitement extended both ways. Davis recently shared his thoughts about partnering with Flagg and expressed complete faith in his abilities.
Relatively new to the Mavericks as well, Davis did not have the desired start to his campaign in Dallas, sustaining a left adductor strain in his debut game. As a result, the former Los Angeles Lakers big man missed several weeks at a crucial juncture of the season.
Adding to the woes was Kyrie Irving tearing his ACL a couple of weeks later, with no clarity over his return timetable. Amid all the tensions, the Mavericks landed a generational talent in Flagg as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, providing Davis with a fresh wave of energy.
"He can block shots, he can jump, he can rebound, he can defend one through five... He can cover a lot of ground, force guys to get beat. He can cover up for us.Man, he (Flagg) has a lot of talent on both ends of the floor, but defensively, he's going to shine.We're going to put him in situations where you have to guard maybe the best wing, to have to guard Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, or these guys," said Davis, who was confident about the Duke product guarding such established names.
Flagg is no doubt projected as the future face of the franchise, especially with Luka Doncic gone.
It will undoubtedly require a significant amount of patience and effort from the front office in Dallas to regain the fans' lost trust following the Doncic trade. This decision led to heavy backlash, with GM Nico Harrison facing the maximum brunt.
Fortunately, things are shifting in a positive direction for both parties, courtesy of the Mavericks landing a rare talent in Flagg, who finds himself on a championship-contending team. The 18-year-old has the opportunity to learn from some of the biggest names in the business.
Be it Davis, Irving or Klay Thompson , these veterans know what it takes to win on the ultimate stage, given their championship DNA. This is a perfect setting for a rookie like Flagg, who has all the skill and talent in the world but lacks experience.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
