Did Mavericks Rookie Cooper Flagg Really Fail in His Summer League Debut? Busting The Absurd Narrative

Yeah, we get it. 10 points in 31 minutes of action is no success. Neither is going 5 of 21 from the field nor connecting on zero of five 3-point attempts.

But we were not watching Cooper Flagg of Duke, a small forward who averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 30 minutes per game in the NCAA. We were watching someone who hadn’t played a professional game since April 6. We were watching someone who was dropped into a group of new teammates with whom he had little chemistry.

But more importantly, we were watching a small forward being used as a point guard. We were watching “Point Flagg”, and despite the box scores saying otherwise, he showed enough flashes of brilliance to warrant a generational career.

Why Cooper Flagg’s Summer League Debut Is Not a Failure

With Kyrie Irving sidelined for the Mavericks, Flagg is set to be used as a point guard, or rather as a point forward. Head coach Jason Kidd made it clear right on the day of Flagg’s first game, and despite what others might say, the 18-year-old delivered.

COOPER FLAGG’S FIRST BUCKET IN A MAVS UNIFORM IS A BIG-TIME SLAM ‼️#NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPN pic.twitter.com/h7Ta564bS8

— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025

You don’t often see an 18-year-old small forward work his way through the defenses pushing the ball up the floor to create easy dunks and layups, let alone while facing full court presses and double teams in their debut. Flagg did it while maintaing the poise of a regular NBA point guard, sucking defenders into his space to leave teammates wide open along the perimeter.

Yes, that doesn’t show on stats. The biggest illustration of it is the sequence that produced the eventual game-winning shot by Ryan Nembhard, who shared the ball-handling duties with Flagg.

The Lakers were holding a one point lead with 1:11 left to play when Flagg blocked a layup shot from Los Angeles guard DJ Steward, picked up the ball in transition, forced his way to the paint and drew three Lakers defenders with him before spinning in mid air and finding Nembhard, who dropped a sublime 3-pointer.

COOPER FLAGG REJECTION ❌
RYAN NEMBHARD 3 🎯

Dallas goes up 2 with less than a minute to play on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/aIQl7TdCgl

— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025

For the half an hour he was on the field, Flagg was the primary ball handler, and didn’t shy away from initiating offenses. His playmaking vision and ability to read the defenses was on full display, and unfortunately, those things won’t show on the statsheet yet.

Additionally, the Lakers were pressing Flagg so high through the game like he was Stephen Curry or Devin Booker. He was getting a superstar treatment, and he faced it like one. But the relentless press eventually worn him out. Part of it was because he wasn’t in “full game shape”, and part of it because it was his first game as point guard.

Those aren’t excuses, but that’s not failure either. Sure, there are several areas Flagg needs to improve, especially his unorthodox release that will certainly be the focus of his shooting coaches, but that’s what these Summer League game are for.

Flagg proved his worth with six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block, and shooting is something he will eventually develop. He’s a great shooter right now as well – one bad game doesn’t change that – but I’m talking becoming an elite shooter, and he eventually will.

So, yes, Flagg didn’t fail in his Summer League debut. He may have underperformed in terms of shooting the ball, but what he displayed in his overall game only confirms the pre-draft hype: The Mavericks have landed a generational player in epic lottery shakeup.