If all eyes were on Cooper Flagg’s Summer League debut, imagine what his NBA debut will look like.
The world got a first look at Flagg in a Mavericks uniform on Thursday in Las Vegas. Jason Kidd was interviewed at halftime about his new weapon. He revealed some thoughts on the number one overall pick being a ballhandler for Dallas this year.
“I think when you have someone like Cooper who can handle, who can shoot, who can pass, you want the ball in his hands. And he’s a great decision-maker,” Kidd said. “He did that at Duke and also in high school, so you get to see it tonight.”
“Point Coop” was the nickname ESPN’s Malika Andrews used when asking Kidd about future duties for the rookie.
With Kyrie Irving working back from a torn ACL to start the season, the Mavericks have less backcourt depth. Flagg could be employed as a point forward to jump start the offense while Anthony Davis anchors the front court.
Other point guards on the roster include D’Angelo Russell, who signed a two-year, $11 million deal, and Dante Exum. It’s not a lofty expectation that Flagg could quickly jump both ballhandlers to become the team’s primary creator.
“His poise as an 18-year-old is incredible.”@malika_andrews gets Jason Kidd’s first impressions of Cooper Flagg in his summer league debut 👀 pic.twitter.com/E7KW6LwCLb
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 11, 2025
Kidd went on to praise the rookie’s poise, another fitting trait for a point guard.
Flagg had a shaky debut, finishing with 10 points (5-21 FG), six rebounds, and four assists in 31 minutes. Still, he’s just a rookie with room to develop and grow into his own.
After Kidd’s comments, “Point Coop” could be more than just a nickname in the coming months.
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