LAS VEGAS — Cooper Flagg vs. Bronny James.
A packed-out Thomas & Mack Center got what it wanted in the second quarter of Thursday’s NBA Summer League game between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.
In their first faceoff, Flagg tried backing James down on the left side of the floor. James fouled Flagg. Then the Mavericks inbounded the ball to Flagg, who rose for a jumper over the second-year guard. The Mavericks went on to notch an 87-85 win over the Lakers.
Flagg scored 10 points in his unofficial debut as a Maverick. While he wasn’t especially efficient, connecting on only 5 of 21 shots, he still provided several reminders of why he was the top pick in last month’s NBA Draft.
“That might be one of the worst games of my life,” Flagg said. “But we got the win, so that’s what really matters to me. My teammates, they held it down. They did what they had to do.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said in June that he planned to deploy Flagg at point guard frequently throughout the season, and Dallas wasted no time putting Flagg in a ballhandling role Thursday. He brought the ball up the floor on the Mavericks’ first possession of the game, and the Lakers sent a double team at him.
“That was something we tried: Try to disrupt him, try to slow him down, hopefully get a steal,” Lakers summer-league coach Lindsey Harding said. “We know he’s a great player. We know that they’re gonna go to him. We know he is the future of this league, so we wanted to try to make it a little difficult for him.”
Toward the end of the first quarter, Flagg began to discover a rhythm. He dunked in transition for his first basket of the game. He then got a midrange jumper to fall.
Flagg, however, never scored after halftime. He was one of several Mavericks players who struggled to make shots from 3-point territory. Flagg missed on all five of his attempts from long distance. As a team, Dallas made 9 of 28 from 3.
“I thought in the first half, we kind of just stood and watched Cooper play,” Mavericks summer-league coach Josh Broghamer said. “I have to do a better job. I thought the second half, we did a much better job of playing basketball. That ball was moving. We were making the right decisions.”
Miles Kelly, one of Dallas’ two-way signees, accounted for three 3-point makes. He finished with 17 points.
Dallas’ other two-way player under contract, point guard Ryan Nembhard, also had a strong performance, contributing 21 points and five assists. Nembhard made midrange jumpers throughout the evening and played controlled basketball with his older brother, Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, in attendance.
With a little more than one minute remaining, Flagg blocked a Lakers shot and got the ball to Nembhard for a go-ahead 3. The Mavericks survived James’ missed 3-point attempt in the final seconds to win. James, who hit his first two shots, missed his next six and finished the game with eight points in nearly 21 minutes.
Flagg’s first game drew many key Mavericks officials to Las Vegas. Team governor Patrick Dumont was in the building, and his son was wearing Flagg’s No. 32 jersey. Kidd was in attendance, and so was minority owner Mark Cuban.
Mavericks players Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Max Christie sat courtside and got to watch Dallas’ Summer League squad grind out a win.
Though Flagg had a bad shooting night, his talent was apparent in flashes. He seemed to excel most in transition, and while point guard isn’t his natural position, he rarely looked flustered when he got Dallas into its offense.
“I was looking forward to (playing point guard), splitting some reps with Ryan (Nembhard),” Flagg said. “It’s new for me, bringing it up, having that full-court pressure a bunch. Obviously, I’m not in full game shape. I’m a little tired, but (I’m) just dealing with that. It was fun experimenting and trying to do different things.”
“He didn’t score the ball really well,” Nembhard said of playing with Flagg. “It wasn’t his night, but the gravity he has, it helps guys get good looks. He’s super talented.”
Expect plenty more “Point Flagg” this season based on everything the Mavericks’ coaching staff has said. Flagg will suit up again on Saturday, as the Mavericks face the San Antonio Spurs and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper in Las Vegas.
“I was a little nervous but excited,” Flagg said. “Just happy to be here. It’s a dream come true. Just trying to enjoy the moment.”
(Photo of Cooper Flagg and Bronny James: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
