"They constructed a tall, unwieldy roster without enough shooting or ball-handling, then told a power forward-sized 18-year-old to play the point. For the first fifth of the season, that went about as well as one might expect. Even a player of Flagg's obvious and immense talents looked overmatched, and for reasons beyond him, the Mavericks started the season at 5-15."
"P.J. Washington was a late scratch after rolling his ankle on a loose basketball during warmups. Klay Thompson was initially on the injury report too, with a sore left knee, but changed his mind after taking a dip in the Pacific Ocean. ("Anytime you touch the earth, it gives you energy," he said after the game. I would argue that the ocean is not the earth, but I don't want to further derail this post.)"
The Mavericks constructed a tall, unwieldy roster lacking shooting and ball-handling and asked an 18-year-old power forward to play point guard. The roster imbalance contributed to a 5-15 start, during which Cooper Flagg often looked overmatched despite elite defensive play and impactful actions that did not register in the box score. Facing the Los Angeles Clippers, Flagg produced a breakout outing: 35 points, eight rebounds, two assists and only three turnovers while orchestrating the offense. Flagg became the youngest player to reach 35 points, eclipsing LeBron James by five days. Multiple roster absences and an underperforming opponent helped simplify Flagg's role and open scoring opportunities.
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