Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. Am I the only one getting Keith Van Horn vibes from Cooper Flagg’s new goatee?
In today’s SI:AM:
🏀 Cooper Flagg’s debut
💣 Derby field set
⚾ deGrom’s renaissance
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First look at Flagg
Let’s make this clear right from the start: The NBA Summer League doesn’t matter at all. It’s absurd to draw any conclusions about a player from a game with unfamiliar teammates just two weeks after the draft. But what’s also clear is that Cooper Flagg kinda stunk in his Summer League debut on Thursday.
Flagg had 10 points while shooting a disappointing 5 for 21 from the field in his first game in a Mavericks jersey, an 87–85 win over the Lakers in Las Vegas. He also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one very clutch block (more on that later).
“I would say that might be one of the worst games in my life, but we got the win, that’s what really matters to me,” Flagg said.
The No. 1 pick’s first game with his new team is always a big deal, even in Summer League, and it was especially so in this case. Not only was Flagg making his first Summer League appearance, but it also came against Bronny James and the Lakers. The day before the game, tickets were selling for as much as $3,000 each.
Flagg admitted that he was “obviously a little nervous” for his first game as a pro, and it showed.
“I couldn’t really get into a rhythm, it’s a different environment, obviously very different from college, it’s probably very different from what the real NBA is gonna be like,” he said. “The coaches had a lot of confidence in me. They’ve been telling me they want me to experiment, try some new things, and I was trying to be aggressive, and that’s new for me too.”
It wasn’t all bad for Flagg, though. Despite the underwhelming stat line, teammates and coaches still saw plenty to like about his game. Teammate Ryan Nembhard, an undrafted rookie, said Flagg was “super fun to play with, he’s a super unselfish guy,” and Dallas Summer League coach Josh Broghamer praised Flagg for his effort and basketball IQ.
“I think he just makes the right play over and over again, and shots will fall,” Broghamer said. “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 made two winning plays in Thursday’s game. With 1:10 left to play in the fourth quarter and the Lakers leading 85–84, Los Angeles guard DJ Steward drove down the lane and was met at the rim by Flagg on the layup attempt. Flagg emphatically blocked the shot, took the ball down to the offensive end of the floor, had three defenders collapse down on him and found a wide-open Nembhard for a three-pointer.
https://x.com/NBA/status/1943490701578174759
That was the final made basket of the game, as the Mavs hung on to win, 87–85.
In some ways, Flagg’s so-so game on Thursday showed why he was the top pick in the draft. Even when he has a bad night shooting the ball, he’s able to do other things on the floor to make a positive impact on the game, whether that’s on defense, hustling for rebounds or making unselfish plays to find open teammates. His versatility was also on full display. Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after the draft that he hopes to use the 6'9" Flagg at point guard at times, and Flagg appeared comfortable being the primary ballhandler, even when the Lakers applied full-court pressure.
The Mavericks haven’t said what plans they have for Flagg over the rest of the summer schedule. Teams can play a maximum of six games in the Vegas Summer League (if they advance to the championship game) but it’s rare for top players like Flagg to play more than a couple of games. Victor Wembanyama, for example, only played two Summer League games after he was taken with the first pick in 2023. Paolo Banchero, the previous year’s top pick, also played just two games. The Mavs are next in action on Saturday against the Spurs in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN at 4 p.m. ET. If you want to see Flagg again before the preseason starts in October, that might be your last chance.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- Gilberto Manzano is out at Lake Tahoe for the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament and spoke with several of the field’s current and former NFL players.
- Jacob deGrom is looking more like his old self after four injury-plagued seasons. Ryan Phillips compiled a list of stats that show just how much better the former Cy Young winner has been in 2025.
- With Barcelona captain Marc-André ter Stegen likely to leave the club this summer, Roberto Casillas listed four clubs that would be a good fit for the German goalkeeper.
- Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the eighth and final participant in this year’s home run derby.
- Chargers running back Najee Harris suffered an eye injury in a Fourth of July fireworks accident but his agent says it’s minor.
- San Francisco lost several of its key players to injuries last season, but if the team stays healthy, it still has the talent to compete for a championship. Matt Verderame continues SI’s 32 teams in 32 days series with the 49ers.
- Athletics fireballer Mason Miller just threw the fastest pitch of the season.
The top five…
… things I saw last night:
5. Some nice ballhandling by Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears on a pretty bucket.
4. Cooper Flagg’s big dunk for his first points of the night.
3. Shakira Austin’s late basket to lift the Mystics over the Aces.
2. Astros prospect Max Holy’s absurd range to catch a ball on the foul line.
1. The play at the plate on Aaron Judge’s walk-off sacrifice fly that scored Anthony Volpe. The Yankees were being no-hit by the Mariners’ Bryan Woo through seven innings but came back to tie the game 5–5 with big rallies in the eighth and ninth before winning in the 10th.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | Cooper Flagg’s Rough Summer League Debut.
