Rookie forward Cooper Flagg offered an honest assessment of his performance following the Dallas Mavericks’ 120-116 preseason loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night at American Airlines Center.
Flagg finished with 11 points, four assists, and three steals in 24 minutes, showing flashes of his all-around potential but also committing five turnovers in his second preseason game.
Asked what fueled his early rhythm, Flagg said, “I think just coming out with good energy, starting out at a high level and just trying to hold that throughout the game.”
The 19-year-old admitted he wasn’t entirely satisfied with his outing, noting he drifted at times in the second half. “I think it was solid,” he said. “I thought second half I got lost out there a little bit, watching a little too much, but got to find ways to impact the game a little bit more. Obviously, the turnovers weren’t great, but yeah, there’s definitely room for improvement.”
Flagg’s confidence in his perimeter game remains steady after a strong offseason of work. “I think it’s been solid,” he said when asked about his shooting. “That’s something we worked a lot on throughout this summer. I just got to trust it, trust all the work we’ve been doing this summer and keep taking the shots that are there.”
Saturday’s matchup carried extra meaning for the rookie, who faced three of his former college teammates now with the Hornets. “It was cool,” Flagg said. “Having three former teammates on the same team, being able to play against them at this level is pretty cool. I just feel blessed to have this opportunity.”
Flagg also acknowledged that adjusting to NBA spacing and pace is still a work in progress. “It’s a different game, different spacing, different level,” he said. “Even today, I got to find ways to help AD more, play off him a little better, help him impact the game when he’s posting up or getting his ISOs.”
Despite the loss, Flagg connected on several plays with Anthony Davis, including a lob sequence from D’Angelo Russell that electrified the crowd. “It’s just going to open the floor for us,” he said of the two-man game. “If we can really figure it out and get effective with it, it just opens the court up for us even more and lets us utilize our size.”
The Mavericks dropped to 1-1 in preseason play, while the Hornets improved to 1-2. Flagg and Dallas will continue their exhibition slate before finalizing rotations for the upcoming regular season.
