Mavs Notes: Flagg, Veterans, Irving, Approach
Cooper Flagg‘s start to his NBA career with the Mavericks has been an exercise in steady progress and managing expectations, writes Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal.
It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing so far for the 6’9″ rookie forward, who joined a team with aspirations of contending and has unexpectedly taken on the role of starting point guard. The No. 1 overall pick is shooting just 37.3% from the floor and 28.6% on three-pointers as he learns a new role.
Flagg, for his part, is not satisfied with his performance so far, but neither is he losing confidence.
“It’s a tough league. It’s a transition,” Flagg said. “Honestly, I haven’t made a lot of shots or been as efficient as I would’ve wanted to, but I’m gonna just keep trusting the work. It’s nothing I think they should be worried about. I’m not worried about anything.”
The Mavericks share Flagg’s faith in his ability to figure things out.
“Cooper’s not the kind of player who gets rattled,” a Mavericks staffer said. “He wants to understand why something didn’t work, then figure out how to fix it. That’s rare for someone his age.”
We have more from around the Mavs:
- One way that the Mavs are helping to ease Flagg’s burden as he transitions to being the new face of the franchise is through their veteran stars, writes Tim MacMahon for ESPN. Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis both have the perspective of being former No. 1 overall picks who entered the NBA with big expectations, and they’re using their experiences to help Flagg. “Being a No. 1 pick is still going to come with the pressure, still going to come with a lot of the inner thoughts that you want to impose on the team,” Irving said. “You want to let everybody know who you are, and you want to earn everybody’s respect. And that’s what it takes to be in this league. There’s no boys allowed. For me, it’s just making sure he doesn’t get overwhelmed or it’s not too much for him.” MacMahon describes Flagg as a 6’9″ shadow to Irving when the point guard goes through his post-practice routine, whether shooting sessions or one-on-one work.
- Head coach Jason Kidd is tantalized by the potential combination of Irving playing alongside Flagg and is hopeful that fans will get to see that duo sooner rather than later, Afseth writes. “[Irving] is going to be a perfect fit with Cooper Flagg, when you talk about his skill set of being able to dribble and score,” Kidd said. “He also creates space on the floor for Cooper, and vice versa. We just can’t wait to get Kai back, at some point. Hopefully it’s in the year of ’25 — not ’26.” Afseth notes that the optimistic timeline stands in clear contrast to the cautious approach Kidd and the Mavs have taken when previously discussing Irving’s rehabilitation schedule.
- Until Irving does return, Mavs fans shouldn’t expect a change in approach, despite the team’s early struggles to score, according to Christian Clark for The Athletic. Dallas’ offense went bone-dry in the fourth quarter against the Pistons in Mexico on Saturday, Clark writes, a trend largely indicative of the greater struggles the team has faced en route to a 2-4 start to the season. Entering Sunday, the Mavs were averaging 104.2 points per 100 possessions while every other team in the league was scoring at least 106, Clark notes. However, Kidd seems content to focus on the bigger picture rather than getting weighed down by the offense’s current struggles. “We are playing for something greater,” Kidd said about the ongoing Point Flagg experiment. “Just to have that experience early on is a blessing.”
Serge Ibaka Teases NBA Comeback
Serge Ibaka recently teased a potential return to the NBA, tweeting a black and white picture of himself practicing in an open University of Miami gym with the caption “@nba Comeback.”
The 14-year veteran’s most recent NBA action came in the 2022/23 season, when he appeared in 16 regular season games for the Bucks and averaged 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per contest.
Ibaka played the following season overseas with Bayern Munich, with whom he averaged 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 48.0% from three. He spent last season with Real Madrid, averaging 6.5 PPG and 3.3 RPG during EuroLeague play.
The 36-year-old Ibaka led the league in blocks three times during his NBA career and won the 2019 NBA championship as a key contributor for the Raptors. He rose to prominence as an important member of the Thunder team that, along with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook, lost the 2012 NBA Finals to the LeBron James-led Heat.
Blake Wesley Out Indefinitely With Broken Bone In Foot
Trail Blazers guard Blake Wesley has suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot and is out indefinitely, according to the team. The Blazers added that Wesley’s recovery timeline will be determined at a later date.
Wesley signed a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers this summer. With Scoot Henderson out due to a hamstring tear, the former Spur has played in each of Portland’s first six games, averaging career highs in points (6.0), rebounds (2.3), assists (3.2), steals (1.7) in 16.3 minutes per night.
The 25th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Wesley played the first three seasons of his career with San Antonio before being traded to Washington this offseason. He was subsequently bought out by the Wizards and signed with the Blazers as a free agent.
With Wesley out, rookie Caleb Love could be in line for additional playing time. The undrafted guard has appeared in two games for Portland, averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 assists in 9.5 minutes per contest.
In addition to missing Wesley and Henderson, the Blazers are playing without Damian Lillard, who will spend the entire 2025/26 season recovering from an Achilles tear.
Josh Hart Reveals Nerve Damage In Shooting Hand
Knicks forward Josh Hart is suffering from nerve damage throughout his shooting hand, he revealed on Sunday to Fred Katz and James L Edwards III of The Athletic.
Hart previously acknowledged prior to training camp that an offseason procedure on his right ring finger didn’t sufficiently address the issue. Now he’s providing more details on the injury and suggesting it’s more wide-ranging than previously reported.
According to Katz and Edwards, not only is the injury impacting the fourth finger of Hart’s shooting hand, but it’s also causing him to lose feeling in his middle and pinky fingers throughout the day, whether on the court or off.
“It’ll probably be a process until I get full feeling back,” Hart said. “The hand will be what it is. I’m working (on shooting) all the time. That’ll come along. I’m not getting surgery.”
After missing much of the preseason and entering this fall with a different role than he played in the previous two seasons, Hart has gotten off to a slow start, averaging 2.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 22.3 minutes on .211/.100/.500 shooting splits over his first four games heading into Sunday’s contest against the Bulls.
With his minutes down significantly from the 35.5 MPG he averaged over the last two seasons with the Knicks, Hart is still seeking some stability and structure in his position with the team.
“If I’m not going to start, I’m totally cool with it,” he said. “I don’t want to be, like, the next starter up because then everything is varying by game. I want more of a consistent role so that I can affect that role.”
Pelicans’ Slow Start Intensifies Coaching Questions
After losing 137-106 to the Thunder on Sunday, the Pelicans remain one of only two teams without a win on the season, along with Brooklyn.
The rough start has set off alarms around the NBA media landscape, with the Pelicans drawing the wrong kind of attention not just for their 0-6 start but for the way in which those losses have occurred. It was previously reported that head coach Willie Green is on the hot seat after winning just 21 games last season.
Rylan Stiles of Locked On Thunder wrote (via Twitter) during Sunday’s game that the team appeared to have quit on Green, noting the lack of player engagement on the bench. The Ringer’s Zach Lowe echoed the sentiment, tweeting that the team looked broken across the board and speculating that Green likely had to be feeling some level of personal pressure given the state of the team’s performance.
This performance comes after previous reporting that the players seemed to be tuning Green’s messaging out at times.
The Pelicans have given up at least 120 points in each of their six games, and The Athletic’s Law Murray notes that three of the last four games have been 30-point losses (Twitter link).
As William Guillory of the Athletic observes (via Twitter), the team’s disappointing performances last season could be largely chalked up to injuries, but that this year’s Pelicans are relatively healthy, making it harder to justify the lackluster performance. The team is missing Dejounte Murray, who is still rehabbing from an Achilles rupture, but was otherwise at full strength on Sunday. Guillory adds that if New Orleans is unable to turn things around quickly and dramatically, a change in leadership feels inevitable.
Bret Siegel of Clutch Points notes that multiple players have already expressed frustration with the state of the team (Twitter link).
The Pelicans will be under particular scrutiny this season in the wake of their draft-night trade with the Hawks to select Derik Queen with the No. 13 overall pick. The Pelicans gave up their unprotected 2026 first-round pick in the deal, despite the consensus strength of the top of the 2026 draft class. Queen played just 6:51 in Sunday’s loss, scoring four points.
After missing much of the preseason recovering from a left wrist injury, Queen has played in all of the team’s games this season, coming into Sunday with averages of 8.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 19.6 minutes per contest.
Walker Kessler To Undergo Tests On Left Shoulder
Walker Kessler been sent back to Utah to undergo additional tests on his left shoulder, reports Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
Kessler missed much of the preseason with left shoulder bursitis, but has been able to play in all five of the Jazz‘s games so far this season, posting career highs in points (14.4), assists (3.0), and steals (1.4) per game while also contributing 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per night.
The fourth-year center has been Utah’s third-leading scorer in addition to being the anchor of the defense, and is making an effort to expand his shooting range — if his rate of 1.6 three-point attempts per game keeps up, it would represent a significant increase on his previous career high (0.6).
Kessler is in a contract year after failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension with Utah this offseason. He will become a restricted free agent this summer.
Shoulder bursitis is the result of damage or irritation to the bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the area between the rotator cuff and scapula.
Larsen notes (via Twitter) that Jusuf Nurkic will start tonight against his former team, the Hornets, and will likely remain in the starting five for the remaining three games of the road trip, against the Celtics, Pistons, and Timberwolves.
Nurkic is currently averaging 7.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in just 17.2 minutes per night for the Jazz.
Grizzlies Sign Charles Bassey To 10-Day Hardship Deal
October 27: Bassey’s 10-day contract with the Grizzlies is now official, the team announced (Twitter link).
October 26: The Grizzlies are preparing to sign free agent center Charles Bassey, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).
Memphis doesn’t have an open 15-man roster spot, but will complete the signing using a hardship exception, which allows a club to temporarily add a 16th man.
A team qualifies for a hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three consecutive games and are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks. Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Brandon Clarke fit that bill for the Grizzlies, per Charania.
Bassey is entering his fifth season in the NBA, having spent the last three seasons with the Spurs after playing for the Sixers as a rookie. The former 53rd overall pick holds career averages of 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 11.1 minutes per game.
Bassey, a 6’10” center, will turn 25 in two days and can provide some stability at the center spot, which has been manned primarily by Jock Landale to start the season.
The Grizzlies are 2-1, with wins over the Pacers and Pelicans, though they gave up 146 points in a loss to the Heat on Friday and currently boast the sixth-worst mark among teams for opponent scoring allowed, giving up 123.7 points per game.
Hardship deals cover 10 days at a time. If the Grizzlies still meet the hardship criteria when Bassey’s first 10-day contract expires, he could be signed to a second 10-day deal.
Central Notes: Nembhard, Cunningham, Jones, Allen
The Pacers have been hit hard by injuries, but there’s at least one ray of hope on the horizon, reports Marc Stein of the Stein Line (subscriber link).
Andrew Nembhard left Thursday night’s game against the Thunder early after aggravating a preexisting shoulder injury. According to Stein, following an MRI, there’s optimism that Nembhard’s absence won’t be a long-term one.
Nembhard is expected to play a key role for the Pacers this season as one of the few healthy ball-handlers remaining on the roster. As Indiana has lost more and more players due to injury, it’s become harder for the team to keep itself organized, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
In addition to Nembhard, Tyrese Haliburton, TJ McConnell, Taelon Peter, Kam Jones, and Bennedict Mathurin were all on the injury report for Indiana coming into Sunday’s game, and things only got worse after tip-off, as Obi Toppin left the game against the Timberwolves early with a hamstring injury, per Dopirak (Twitter link).
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Cade Cunningham had his coming-out party for the Pistons last season, earning All-NBA honors for the first time and placing seventh in MVP voting. That has led to renewed defensive focus from opposing teams, which Cunningham says he’s still trying to learn how to deal with, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). “I just don’t feel like I’ve handled it the way I want to,” Cunningham said. “I’m gonna keep watching the film and try to be better for my team. I feel like we had a lot of empty offensive possessions because I just didn’t handle the hots correctly.”
- Tre Jones has been labeled a “pure point guard” for much of his career. He’s showing how that can help a team during the start of the Bulls‘ season, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “The game is going positionless a little bit, but trying to keep the point guard spot alive, especially with the height that I have,” Jones said. “I don’t think point guard will ever be out of the game completely. I think there will always be a spot for a point guard and that mentality. It’s something I’ve taken pride in my whole life. How could you not take pride in being called a pure point guard?” Head coach Billy Donovan compared Jones’ ascent in Chicago to Aaron Nesmith‘s jump as a player from his time with the Celtics to his Finals run with the Pacers last season. “One thing I figured out really quickly when I was playing, the most important stat for any NBA player is minutes played per game because these guys are all really, really good, and if they get an opportunity, generally they’re going to show what they can do,” Donovan said.
- Jarrett Allen‘s season debut against the Knicks left a sour taste in Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson‘s mouth, writes Chris Fedor for Cleveland.com (subscriber link). “That wasn’t the Jarrett Allen we all know,” Atkinson said. “That was more on us not seeking him out. But conversely, he can’t get four rebounds. I was really bummed about that. Can’t be like that.” Atkinson made sure to be clear that he wasn’t singling out Allen, saying, “This is a self-criticism too. We take him for granted. I have to be better about talking to him more and talking to our leaders more about him.” The message seemed to sink in: in Cleveland’s second game against the Nets, Allen had 22 points, seven rebounds, and four assists; he followed that up with an eight-point, 11-rebound outing in Sunday’s 118-113 win over the Bucks.
Texas Notes: Popovich, Harper, Flagg, Mavs Fans
The Spurs have unveiled a banner in honor of former head coach Gregg Popovich, according to The Associated Press. The team honored the legendary coach ahead of its home opener against the Nets today.
The banner was not accompanied by a celebration or ceremony, in keeping with Popovich’s wishes and style. In understated fashion fitting for the team and person it’s honoring, the banner simply read: “Pop 1,390,” in reference to his 1390 wins, the most of any coach in NBA history, followed by “Hall of Fame,” as tribute to his 2023 induction.
“I think it’s very Pop-esque,” Mitch Johnson, who is currently in the midst of his first full season as the Spurs head coach, said of the unflashy ceremony.
Popovich took out an ad on page A12 of the San Antonio Express-News today to express his gratitude to the fanbase, relays Mike Finger of the Express-News (via Twitter).
“While I will miss being on the sidelines, I’m content knowing this transition came at a time when we were fortunate to have Mitch Johnson in place, ready to take over the program,” Popovich wrote. “All of us across the organization are excited to, once again, experience the good times together. Thank you for all the great years and here’s to many more.”
We have more from around the world of Texas hoops:
- The Spurs were on the cusp of blowing a 26-point lead to the Nets on Sunday — then Dylan Harper happened, writes Jeff McDonald of the Express-News. Harper finished his third game as a professional with 20 points and eight assists off the bench, and his teammates felt that he helped turn the tide. “He’s making all the right plays,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. “When we had that little slump in the second half, he came in and bought that spark.” Mitch Johnson was thrilled with Harper’s performance on both ends of the court against Brooklyn. “I think his offense was really good and obviously his stat line will represent that,” the Spurs’ coach said. “But I thought his defense was better than his offense.”
- Cooper Flagg spoke about the Mavericks‘ 0-for-2 start to the season ahead of their Sunday night tip-off against the Raptors. “It came down to turnovers — just silly ones we shouldn’t have thrown,” Flagg said of the team’s 117-110 loss to the Wizards. “We’ve got to take care of the ball because that led to a lot of transition opportunities for them.” Flagg has been operating as the Mavs’ primary ball-handler through the first three games, and has had some positive moments while still working on learning the intricacies of running an offense, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Flagg became the second player under 19 to have a game with at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists, Afseth notes, with the other being LeBron James.
- It took just two games for Mavericks fans to regain their frustration with team leadership, writes Marc Stein of the Stein Line (subscriber link). Stein writes that “Fire Nico” chants, referencing general manager Nico Harrison, were audible in both of the team’s two losses to start the season, the first one coming at the hands of Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, and the second against the Wizards. Harrison remains confident in his position with the team, which Stein notes is bolstered by the support of owner Patrick Dumont, partially because Dumont was the person who signed off on Harrison’s trade of Luka Doncic.
Bennedict Mathurin Out With Toe Sprain
Bennedict Mathurin will miss Sunday’s Pacers game in Minnesota with a right great toe sprain, reports Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star adds (via Twitter) that Mathurin is currently in a walking boot, and, according to head coach Rick Carlisle, will undergo imaging on his foot tomorrow in Dallas.
Now possessing a much larger role due to injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell, along with the departure of Myles Turner, Mathurin has averaged 31.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in the Pacers’ first two games, posting .548/.500/.885 shooting splits.
Mathurin joins a growing Indiana injury list that also includes Andrew Nembhard, Johnny Furphy, Kam Jones, and Taelon Peter in addition to Haliburton and McConnell, writes Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.
Maggi notes that Carlisle has yet to give a timetable for Mathurin’s return.