Ever since the Dallas Mavericks landed the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they knew Cooper Flagg was their guy. Head coach Jason Kidd has had plenty of time to devise different ways the Mavericks will utilize Flagg, using him as the dominant ball handler. The 18-year-old has strong feelings regarding Kidd’s decision.
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Mavericks fans had the privilege to watch Luka Doncic hold down the fort at the point guard position. At 6-foot-6, he had the height and size to impose a mismatch in every game. Once general manager Nico Harrison traded Doncic for Anthony Davis and Irving assumed the duties of starting point guard.
But Irving will miss the majority of the 2025-26 season rehabbing a torn ACL. The Mavericks were able to pivot by signing D’Angelo Russell on a two-year $11.6 million deal to fill in until Irving is healthy.
Russell will most likely begin the season as the team’s starting point guard. But he won’t be the only player in Dallas’ starting lineup to undergo point guard-like tasks.
“I want to put him at point guard,” Kidd said at Flagg’s introductory press conference. “I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts to being able to run the show.”
The Mavericks Summer League roster is only a few days away from playing its first game. Ahead of Flagg’s NBA debut, The Smoking Cuban’s Noah Weber asked him about his thoughts on Kidd’s plans with him. He understands the challenge and isn’t backing down.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Coach Scheyer trusted me a lot last year, and I handled it a lot…Set up a lot of different actions, I think it’s something I can do at a high level, so I’m excited to just experiment and do some new things,” Flagg said.
During Flagg’s sole season at Duke, the Blue Devils had plenty of guards capable of controlling the offense. Despite that, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer relied the most on Flagg to lead the Blue Devils’ offense. As a result, he led Duke to a Final Four appearance.
Flagg unprecedently led Duke in all counting stats. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. Sion James was second in assists at 2.9 per game, which shows a clear gap between Flagg.
It is hard to believe the 6-foot-9 forward is only 18. Kidd and the Mavericks won’t wait for Flagg to develop. They look to put him in positions that will force him to become a better player. Whether this method is successful or not, Flagg’s rookie season will certainly be must-watch television.
