What Cooper Flagg Proved During Summer League

Cooper Flagg’s summer league days are over, according to Marc Stein. The Dallas Mavericks are expected to shut down the No. 1 overall pick for the remainder of the Las Vegas Summer League, which means the next time we’ll see him in game action will be during the preseason.

Flagg played two games with the Mavericks’ summer league squad, and he ended it on a high note after a mixed bag debut performance. In Flagg’s second game, he racked up 31 points on 47% from the field in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper. Flagg’s 31 points were the most by a No. 1 pick in the Las Vegas Summer League since John Wall in 2010, and was the perfect example of why he’s considered a generational prospect.

He knocked down a couple of 3-pointers, attacked the rim and showed off his mid-range game a bit, and while the Mavericks didn’t win the game, it was a positive way to end Flagg’s summer league time after a debut performance that by his own admission, didn’t live up to his standards. In that game on Thursday, in front of a packed Thomas & Mack Center who were intrigued by the matchup between Flagg and 2024 second-round draft pick Bronny James, the former Duke phenom struggled to score efficiently, going 3 of 21 from the floor for just 10 points, though he also did record six rebounds and four assists in the win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Flagg’s second performance was far more telling of the type of player he is: one who can score off the bounce, can be an off-ball threat and someone who you absolutely don’t want to lose in transition, otherwise you’ll end up on the wrong end of a highlight finish. Defensively, he showed in both games how much of a problem he can be on that end, especially from a shot-blocking perspective, as he can use his length and athleticism to fly out to shooters on the perimeter to alter shots, or come over as a weak side help defender to get a block near the rim.

With everything Flagg showed on the defensive side of the ball, teams should be worried about the dangerous combination he’s going to create with the likes of Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford next season. Flagg’s offensive impact may take some time to develop on a veteran-led roster that’s already built to contend for the playoffs with multiple All-Star candidates present, but he showed in the summer league that he’s capable of filling whatever role is needed of him on both sides of the ball.

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Article by James Van Wickler