Cooper Flagg rebounded from a rough Summer League start with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Dallas Mavericks fell to the San Antonio Spurs 76-69, but the Duke star was strong on both sides of the court.
He was considerably more efficient with his shot, scoring 31 points on 10-of-20 from the field while adding four rebounds, one assist, one block, and three three-pointers.
He also went to the line 13 times, and while he only made eight free throws, he appeared much more aggressive getting to his spots and driving to the rim:
“I definitely felt a little more comfortable,” Flagg admitted. “They were still picking up 94 (feet). They did a really good job of pressuring us, getting us out of our actions. So that was tough. We had to try to figure out our spacing. But I was trusting all the work. I tried to get to the free-throw line, get to the rim. I was trying my best to be aggressive and assert myself early. I got to the line a lot better today.”
That’s why Mavs fans will be disappointed to learn that they won’t be able to see the first-round pick play again until preseason.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks will shut down Flagg for the duration of Summer League. Of course, this is common procedure as teams carefully manage their young stars and workloads, but it is still upsetting.
It is not uncommon for rookies to be uneven in their first taste of NBA action, but Flagg looked the part on defense and shown his offensive ability in a tiny sample size.
The Mavs return to the floor on Monday to face the Charlotte Hornets. This time around, the franchise’s new face is dressed casually.
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