Immediately after the conclusion of his Summer League debut, an 87-85 Dallas Mavericks victory on Thursday, top 2025 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg told ESPN's Katie George that his play was "not up to my standard."
Flagg, who scored 10 points on just 5 of 21 shooting from the field, was even harsher on himself in his media availability.
"The coaches had a lot of confidence in me," Flagg said when asked about his aggressiveness. "They've been telling me they want me to experiment. Try some new things. I was trying to be aggressive. That's new for me, too. I would say that might be one of the worst games of my life. But we got the win, so that's what really matters to me."
Flagg's shooting struggles, which included missing all five of his three-point tries, stand out the most. But his performance included many positives as well, such as the thunderous dunk he threw down for his first bucket in the Summer League. Or the clutch blocked shot and assist with under a minute-and-a-half to play that helped seal Dallas's victory.
Flagg filled up the stat sheet as well, compiling six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and the aforementioned block in 32 minutes of action. But obviously, the performance did not leave Flagg feeling satisfied. Fortunately for him, Mavericks Summer League coach Josh Broghamer was very impressed with the No. 1 pick's game.
"I think he just makes the right play over and over again, and shots will fall," Broghamer told The Associated Press. “He makes winning plays, whether it’s offense or defense. I think that’s as advertised. Whether it’s a right pass or defensive possession or scoring the ball, that’s what he does."
Flagg and the Mavericks will be in action again on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET against the San Antonio Spurs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cooper Flagg Thinks NBA Summer League Debut Was One of the Worst Games of His Life.
