Cooper Flagg took the NBA floor on Monday night for the first time as the Mavericks kicked off preseason play against the defending champion Thunder. And he was great.
The No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft had 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists in only 14 minutes of play. Obviously intensity isn't very high in preseason action but Flagg looked smooth in his first taste of NBA action, which is very exciting for Dallas and anybody who hopes the generational prospect will be fun to watch in his rookie season. Flagg's versatility was on full display and he even sunk a pair of three-pointers, which is one of the big question marks about his game as he enters the league.
Cooper Flagg shined in his preseason debut vs. OKC 🌟
— NBA (@NBA) October 7, 2025
🏁 10 PTS
🏁 6 REB
🏁 3 AST
🏁 2 3PM
🏁 14 MIN pic.twitter.com/ycdvICNxNt
His stellar debut led to effusive praise from his coach Jason Kidd, who raved about Flagg's "incredible" night to the media after Dallas wrapped up a 106-89 win over Oklahoma City.
"He was great," Kidd said of Flagg. "Cooper did an incredible job for us. He's been doing this for us since training camp started in Vancouver. You got to see the defensive side. You got to see the playmaking. And then the scoring ability. He was really, really good tonight."
When asked specifically about Flagg's playmaking Kidd waxed poetic about his young star and called his abilities "special."
"That’s going to be one of our strengths, being able to have him handle the ball, be able to make reads, run the pick and roll," Kidd said, per Mavs reporter Noah Weber. "I thought he did a great job of finding guys... For an 18 year old, it’s kind of special and kind of fun to watch his ability to handle the ball in those situations and he’s only going to get better."
I asked Jason Kidd about Cooper Flagg’s playmaking and passing in his Mavs preseason debut against the Thunder:
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) October 7, 2025
“That’s going to be one of our strengths, being able to have him handle the ball, be able to make reads, run the pick and roll. I thought he did a great job of finding… pic.twitter.com/WjR8gYziD2
Kidd is clearly thrilled to have Flagg in the fold. As he should be. If he pans out Flagg will be just the sort of do-everything combo forward that will allow Dallas to put forth all sorts of lineup constructions. The flashes he showed on Monday night suggest that could happen as soon as his first NBA season. And that isn't even to mention the heights that skillset would allow Flagg to reach as an individual superstar.
Nobody should be eager to crown Flagg after one preseason game but it's hard not to get a little excited about what we saw. Kidd certainly seems to be.
The Mavs next take the floor against the Hornets on Saturday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jason Kidd Raved About 'Special' Cooper Flagg After Mavericks Preseason Debut.
