DALLAS — On the primary offensive possession of his NBA profession, Cooper Flagg pushed the ball down the ground in transition, gave it as much as Anthony Davis and soared into the air to catch the lob move the 10-time All-Star tossed again to him, a lot to the delight of the sellout crowd on the American Airways Middle.
However Flagg could not full the spotlight by throwing down the dunk. Because the ball rattled out of the rim, he crashed onto the baseline, touchdown on his bottom.
It was a sequence that foreshadowed the No. 1 decide’s NBA debut — plenty of anticipation, however a disappointing outcome for Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.
Flagg went scoreless within the first half and completed with 10 factors on 4-of-13 capturing because the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 125-92 rout Wednesday night time. The 6-foot-9 Flagg began at level guard, a place he had by no means performed till becoming a member of the Mavs, and dedicated three turnovers with out recording an help.
“Not nice,” Flagg mentioned when requested to evaluate his efficiency. “Clearly, did not play extremely properly, however we have to maneuver previous it, flip our focus and begin trying towards Friday [against the Washington Wizards].”
The sport was dominated by Spurs heart Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 decide within the 2023 draft, who had 40 factors, 15 rebounds and three blocks. Spurs guard Stephon Citadel, the Rookie of the Yr final season, added 22 factors, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and a pair of steals whereas pestering Flagg as his major defender.
“He did not shoot the ball properly, however he appeared much more poised than I believed he could be,” Citadel mentioned of Flagg. “I imply, my first sport I used to be on the market nervous. He made some good reads. He did not appear too rattled, so I believe he’ll have an incredible yr.”
San Antonio guard Dylan Harper, the No. 2 decide behind Flagg, had the extra spectacular debut. He scored 15 factors on 7-of-14 capturing in 23 minutes off the bench.
Flagg, however, did not rating till making a midrange jumper on the opening possession of the second half.
“Recreation one. I imply, he is nonetheless a rookie,” mentioned Davis, who had a team-high 22 factors on 7-of-22 capturing because the Mavs’ offense sputtered. “You are coming in and preseason was clearly good, however when that sport one comes round [in a] packed stadium, nationwide TV sport … I am undecided if he is a social media man or not, however you noticed it — every little thing was No. 1 decide Cooper Flagg and Wemby match up and all these items. So that you begin listening to it, and I am undecided if it received to him, but it surely’s first-game jitters when it is time for the true factor. So he’ll be fantastic.”
Flagg did handle to turn into the fifth Dallas participant to file a double-double in his NBA debut, grabbing 10 rebounds in his 32 minutes. That listing consists of his coach, Jason Kidd, who did not contemplate the 18-year-old’s debut to be discouraging.
“I believed he performed properly. Now, the stat line shouldn’t be going to say that, however nobody on this room is sitting in his footwear. As a rookie, he did fantastic and he will study from this sport. All of us will, and we’ll be higher subsequent time we take the ground,” Kidd mentioned.
Based on ESPN Analysis, the Mavs scored solely eight factors on the 19 possessions that Flagg introduced the ball up the ground. He’s listed as the purpose guard in a supersized lineup through which 6-foot-6 Klay Thompson is the shortest participant, however the Mavs intend to have forwards P.J. Washington and Davis share the playmaking duties with the rookie in a system designed round participant and ball motion.
“We simply received a little bit stagnant,” Flagg mentioned. “It is early, so we received to maintain engaged on that, determine it out, get our circulate a little bit bit higher.”
Flagg tried solely two photographs from the ground within the first half. He got here out of halftime decided to be extra aggressive, going 4-of-11 from the ground within the third quarter, when the Spurs outscored the Mavs by a 33-21 margin.
“I believed Cooper performed inside himself,” Kidd mentioned. “He took what the protection gave him. He is making performs. He is diving on the ground. He is one which’s not going to exit right here and simply shoot each time he touches it. He tries to play the sport the precise approach, and I believed he did that within the first half. I believed he was comfy and got here on the market within the third, began trying to be aggressive to take some photographs that he knocked down.”
The Mavs had been outscored by 29 factors with Flagg on the ground, the worst plus-minus within the sport.
“I am excited to maintain going,” Flagg mentioned. “Clearly it hurts, the primary loss being like that, however I am simply attempting to sit up for the following one, flip the web page and prepare. We all know we received to be lots higher than that, so simply staying constructive and staying prepared and simply being locked in on the following one.”
