Cooper Flagg’s NBA Debut Falls Short as Mavs Lose 125-92

UPDATE: In a highly anticipated NBA debut, Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick, faced a tough start as the Dallas Mavericks were defeated 125-92 by the San Antonio Spurs on October 25, 2023. Flagg struggled to make an impact, finishing with only 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

The excitement was palpable at the American Airlines Center as Flagg took to the court for his first offensive possession. He connected with Anthony Davis on a lob pass, but missed the dunk, foreshadowing a rocky debut. Flagg went scoreless in the first half and committed three turnovers without any assists.

“Not great,” Flagg assessed his performance after the game. “Obviously, didn’t play incredibly well, but we’ve got to move past it, turn our focus and start looking toward Friday [against the Washington Wizards].”

The game was dominated by Spurs’ center Victor Wembanyama, who scored an impressive 40 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Flagg found himself often matched up against Stephon Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, who added 22 points and contributed to Flagg’s struggles.

“He didn’t shoot the ball well, but he seemed a lot more poised than I thought he would be,” Castle remarked about Flagg. “He made some good reads. He didn’t seem too rattled, so I think he’ll have a great year.”

In contrast, Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick, impressed with 15 points off the bench, highlighting the contrast in debut performances between the two rookies.

As the game progressed, Flagg finally scored his first points with a mid-range jumper at the start of the second half. He also recorded 10 rebounds, becoming the fifth Dallas player to achieve a double-double in his debut. Despite his overall struggles, head coach Jason Kidd remained optimistic.

“I thought he played well. The stat line is not going to say that, but no one in this room is sitting in his shoes,” Kidd said. “As a rookie, he did fine and he’s going to learn from this game. We all will, and we’ll be better next time we take the floor.”

The Mavericks’ offense struggled overall, scoring just eight points during the 19 possessions Flagg brought the ball up the floor. Kidd noted the need for better ball movement and teamwork moving forward.

“We just got a little stagnant,” Flagg said. “It’s early, so we got to keep working on that, figure it out, get our flow a little bit better.”

As Flagg looks ahead to the upcoming game against the Wizards, he expressed a commitment to improvement. “I’m excited to keep going. Obviously it hurts, the first loss being like that, but I’m just trying to look forward to the next one,” he said. “We know we got to be a lot better than that, so just staying positive and staying ready.”

All eyes will be on Flagg as he seeks redemption in the Mavericks’ next matchup. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see how the young star rebounds from this challenging start.