Unlike most No. 1 overall picks, Cooper Flagg didn’t wind up with a rebuilding team. Landing on the Mavericks gives him peace of mind entering his NBA regular-season debut against San Antonio on Wednesday.
“We’re a really deep team, so I think that kind of takes that pressure off of me to just be myself and not worry about expectations to be like anyone else, but just to be me and help this team win as much as I can,” he told Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News.
Flagg believes the season debut could be the start of something big for the team this season.
“Just being able to play my first real game obviously, but it’s the start of a great season and great journey with this team,” Flagg said. “I think we have a really good chance to be successful. Just really excited for it.”
Curtis goes in-depth on Flagg’s journey and potential impact on the league.
We have more on the Mavs:
- Daniel Gafford is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game, according to Grant Afseth of the Dallas Morning Journal. Gafford has been working his way back from a right ankle sprain. Coach Jason Kidd said prior to the injury report coming out that Gafford would be listed as questionable. Gafford has been ramping up activity after missing all of the preseason.
- Another player who had a much different journey than Flagg will make his NBA debut on Wednesday. Undrafted Ryan Nembhard, the surprise breakout player during the preseason, is expected to be in the rotation. He’s on a two-way contract. “He’s steady. Understands how to play the game,” Kidd told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “Ryan is a point guard who has set the table in the games that we have put him in a different rotation spot.”
- P.J. Washington started regularly the past two seasons but the power forward will accept whatever role Kidd has in store for him, Townsend writes. “I’m just coming in and trying to win, doing everything I can to be successful and to help my teammates be in great positions to win,” he said. “So it doesn’t matter if I’m starting or coming off the bench. For me it’s all about winning.”
Is he going to be on Wemby? I could see that getting very chippy…I get the impression they do Not like each other
How do you get that impression?
Are you talking about Cooper Flagg? If so, generally no he won’t be guarding Wemby 1-1. You know the Mavs have Lively, Gafford, and Anthony Davis on the same team right?
Also, how do you get the impression that Wemby and Flagg don’t like each other aside from competition, am I missing something?
Because they were both #1 picks? Because they play on teams in the same state? Did Shaq and Micheal Olowokandi have a rivalry no one knew about?