LAS VEGAS — Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised Cooper Flagg‘s performance as the starting point guard in the team’s final two preseason games but stopped short of committing to opening the season with the 18-year-old rookie filling that role in a supersized starting lineup.
“There’s a lot of good, positive stories here, and so we have some time to make a decision,” Kidd said after the Mavs’ 121-94 win Wednesday over the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena, in which Dallas rallied after a slow start against an opponent resting most of its regular rotation players.
The 6-foot-8 Flagg shifted to point guard after starting the first two preseason games at forward, the position he played at Duke. He averaged 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists during his two starts at point guard in a lineup alongside 6-6 Klay Thompson, 6-7 P.J. Washington, 6-10 Anthony Davis and 7-1 Dereck Lively II.
“He’s got to keep an index of who got shots, what was the last shot, and that’ll come with reps,” said Kidd, who started offseason free agency addition D’Angelo Russell at point guard in the Mavs’ first two preseason games. “But I think [Flagg] has done an incredible job of handling the situation of running the team. And the other thing that I think that is going unnoticed is that his teammates enjoy him running the team.”
But Kidd said he thought the Mavs’ offense was too stagnant early in Wednesday’s game, when the Lakers jumped out to a 22-10 lead before Flagg subbed out midway through the first quarter. There are spacing concerns with that lineup because of a relative lack of playmaking and perimeter shooting, as the Mavs’ starters shot 3-of-15 from 3-point range against the Lakers.
“Just continuing to get comfortable,” Flagg said. “I made some mental lapses today, time and score situations. Got to know [and] be aware of what’s on the clock at all times. Just got to stay more attached [defensively]. Can’t let a hot player keep getting looks. So some of those things you can definitely clean up.”
Flagg, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, struggled early in Wednesday’s game while defending Gabe Vincent, who had 18 points and hit five 3s in the first 4 minutes, 9 seconds.
“No matter if you’re 6-4, 6-2 or 6-8, when you’re in a pick-and-roll in this league against guys who know how to run the pick-and-roll, it’s hard,” Kidd said. “It becomes a two-man game, and we’ll get better at that. But [with] his competitiveness, he’s going to figure it out sooner than later, and the more he’s in these situations, I think the long run he’s going to benefit.”
