The second the Mavericks snagged Cooper Flagg with the first pick in 2025, the NBA hype machine basically broke. Like, forget the regular season; everybody was circling Summer League in Vegas on their calendars. And yeah, his debut? Pure spectacle. Front row seats were going for prices that’d make Taylor Swift blush. All because Flagg was set to face off against Bronny James and the Lakers in his first ever pro game. No pressure, right?

So, July 10 rolls around, and honestly, Flagg’s first game was... kind of a mess. The dude went 5 for 21 from the field and bricked every three he took. Yikes. You could see it on his face; he was pissed. After the game, he didn’t sugarcoat it either. Called it “one of the worst games of my life.” Respect for the honesty, at least. He owned it and said he wasn’t up to his usual standard and was still getting used to new teammates, the new vibe, and all that jazz.

But here’s the thing; the kid’s a baller, even when his shot’s MIA. He still racked up six boards, four dimes, three steals, and a block that pretty much won the game. Seriously, with the Mavs down by one late, Flagg swatted a Lakers layup, snatched the ball, and found a teammate for a wide open go ahead three. That’s clutch. That’s “I’m not just here for the highlight dunks” kind of stuff.

Coach Broghamer sounded like a proud dad talking about Flagg. He pretty much said, “Look, this rookie just makes winning plays; it doesn’t matter if the shots are falling.” And he wasn’t wrong. Flagg looked weirdly comfortable running the offense, too, which is wild for a rookie. Jason Kidd must’ve been grinning somewhere, because he’d already talked about wanting Flagg to handle the ball more.

Now, the Mavs didn’t push their shiny new toy too hard. Only played him twice in Summer League. Game two? Total 180. Flagg dropped 31 points on the Spurs and basically silenced anyone freaking out over his first game. Suddenly, the “Can he score?” questions evaporated. The dude just needed to get his feet under him.

All in all, Flagg’s Vegas run was short but sweet. Sure, the debut was rough, but that’s how it goes sometimes. He bounced back, showed flashes of why he went number one, and gave Dallas fans a reason to daydream about the future. Imperfect start, but if that’s his floor? Yeah, the ceiling’s stupid high.