Cooper Flagg Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Davis, Thompson

December 26th, 2025 at 4:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Although the Mavericks lost Thursday’s game at Golden State, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg continued his impressive run of recent play, finishing with 27 points (on 13-of-21 shooting), six rebounds, five assists and one block in 36 minutes.

According to the Mavs (Twitter link), Flagg became just the third rookie in NBA history rookie to record a 25-5-5 stat line on Christmas Day, joining Oscar Robertson (1960) and Pete Maravich (1970).

In a post-game interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter video link), Warriors superstar Stephen Curry spoke highly of Flagg, who recently turned 19 years old.

“Just a true hooper,” Curry said. “Competitor. We forget how young he is, just his presence out there on the court. The future is bright. I’m glad he got this experience his first year to understand what the bright lights feel like. The league is in good hands.”

Here are a few more notes on the Mavericks:

The Mavs didn’t just drop yesterday’s game, they also lost star big man Anthony Davis to a right groin strain. While the injury is considered relatively mild, the 32-year-old is expected to miss multiple games. Davis is now ineligible for major postseason awards just 32 games into the season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). In addition to the 16 contests Davis has missed, he was also forced to leave a pair of games early due to injuries and didn’t meet the 15-minute minimum requirement in either of those appearances in order for them to count toward his games played total for awards purposes, Marks notes.
According to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com (Twitter link), this is the 13th groin-related injury of Davis’ 14-year career. The veteran forward/center has missed an average of 2.7 games (eight days) due to his various groin ailments, Stotts adds, a bit better than the league average for a nondescript groin strain (3.6 games and 9.7 days).
Klay Thompson returning to the Bay Area was supposed to be part of the appeal of Christmas Day matchup between the Mavs and Warriors, but it’s clear both sides have moved on a year-and-a-half after the 35-year-old wing landed with Dallas via sign-and-trade, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “They are an opponent,” said Klay Thompson, who finished with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting in 26 minutes. “Why would I look at any other team other than the Mavericks like that? It’s just the nature of the business.”

Southwest Notes: Zion, Flagg, G. Jackson, Small, Spurs

December 24th, 2025 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans‘ surprising five-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday in Cleveland, but the team still got some positive news, as forward Zion Williamson played in both games of a back-to-back set for the first time in 14 months, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required).

Williamson, who last played in a back-to-back in October 2024, logged 21 minutes vs. the Cavaliers after playing 25 minutes against Dallas on Monday. The former No. 1 overall pick has now played five consecutive games since sitting for six in a row due to an adductor strain.

“Z is progressing well,” head coach James Borrego said before Tuesday’s game. “He looks well. He’s getting in better shape every game, every day. His mentality is right. His spirit is right. That’s the biggest thing for me. The mindset is right. The body is coming along every day. Getting better and better.”

Williamson poured in 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Cleveland, but the Pelicans struggled defensively in his 21 minutes of action and were outscored by 17 points with the 25-year-old on the court.

We have more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, who celebrated his 19th birthday over the weekend, racked up 33 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in a victory over Denver on Tuesday. Flagg’s big night earned him high praise from Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who said the rookie doesn’t look like a first-year NBA player, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I’m going to say the poise that he played with, he doesn’t feel like he’s so young out there,” Jokic said. “He seems like he played meaningful games and he was winning before. That’s my opinion. He looked really mature out there.”
GG Jackson II‘s contributions have been inconsistent since his breakout rookie season as a second-round pick in 2023/24, but the Grizzlies forward made the most of his first start of the season on Tuesday, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. With Cedric Coward out due to left heel soreness, Jackson scored a season-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting while pulling down nine rebounds in a win over Utah. As Cole notes, Jackson looked more decisive on Tuesday after working over the summer on dribbling less when he gets the ball.
Grizzlies guard Javon Small returned to action on Tuesday from his turf toe injury, suiting up for the first time since November 7, Cole writes in the same story. Cam Spencer has been Memphis’ starting point guard with Ja Morant out, but Smart played 12 minutes off the bench and handed out seven assists.
San Antonio knocked off the defending champions for the second time in 10 days on Tuesday, but Victor Wembanyama is hesitant to dub Spurs/Thunder a “rivalry,” as Michael C. Wright of ESPN relays. “It feels like saying it’s a rivalry would be a weird thing because it’s something that builds naturally,” Wembanyama explained. “I didn’t say that it’s impossible that it can be (a rivalry) in the future. I hope it will be soon. But we’re definitely getting closer.” The two teams will meet against on Thursday in what could end up being the marquee matchup of the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule.

Injury Notes: Warriors, Antetokounmpo, Suggs, Flagg, Lively

December 21st, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

Jonathan Kuminga is expected to be available on Monday after missing the Warriors‘ win over the Suns on Saturdaydue to an illness, reports The Athletic’s Nick Friedell (Twitter link).

Friedell notes that Kuminga was at Golden State’s film session on Sunday. The 23-year-old forward has only played in one of the Warriors’ previous five games, as he has been in and out of coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation even when he’s active.

Friedell adds that Al Horford and Seth Curry are still out with back and glute injuries, respectively.

Horford has only played 13 games this season, his first with Golden State, and has suited up for two of the team’s last 13 contests. He’s averaging career lows in points and rebounds.

Curry has played just two games since joining the Warriors on December 1. He scored 14 points in just under 18 minutes in his season debut, but was held scoreless in his second outing.

We have more injury news from around the league:

Giannis Antetokounmpo remains out with the calf strain that has kept him sidelined since early December, but he participated in the Bucks‘ shootaround before Sunday’s contest against the Timberwolves, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter video link). Head coach Doc Rivers previously stated that the team would be cautious with their star forward’s recovery process, but this marked a step in the right direction for the two-time MVP.
Jalen Suggs is listed as questionable for the Magic‘s game against the Warriors on Monday due to a left hip contusion, notes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). Suggs has missed the team’s last two games due to the injury. Beede adds that Tristan Da Silva is questionable with a shoulder contusion.
Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg is questionable for Monday’s game against the Pelicans with a back contusion, writes Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The No. 1 overall pick has been on a hot streak of late, averaging 27.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks over his last four games. Curtis adds that Klay Thompson (left knee soreness), Max Christie (illness), and two-way players Moussa Cisse and Miles Kelly are all questionable for the game as well.
Dereck Lively II underwent successful surgery on his right foot, the Mavericks announced via their team Twitter account. It was reported on December 10 that Lively would undergo season-ending surgery to address ongoing discomfort in the foot. The operation was performed in London.

Sixers Notes: Walker, Edgecombe, Embiid, Barlow

December 21st, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Nick Nurse stuck with the same five players through the entire fourth quarter Saturday night in the Sixers‘ win over Dallas, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Reserve Jared McCain joined Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a three-guard lineup alongside backup big men Jabari Walker and Adem Bona. That group held the Mavericks to 30.4% shooting from the field in the final 12 minutes to reclaim control of a game that appeared to be slipping away in the third quarter.

Maxey had 16 points in the closing quarter, and Nurse believed all three guards were having a positive impact. He was also confident in the contributions he was getting from Walker and Bona.

“As far as the two bigs, I felt Jabari was playing (Cooper) Flagg super physical,” Nurse said. “And the other thing, we started doing some switching between the four and five. Jabari also would get switched onto (Anthony) Davis and was playing him physically to get him off the block and battle him. I don’t know how many rebounds Jabari got. But it sure seems like he snatched a bunch of them down there, that was also critical.”

Walker pulled down six of his eight rebounds in the fourth quarter while playing effective defense on Flagg, helping to hold the star rookie to four points in the quarter on 2-of-6 shooting. Walker, who has been a valuable contributor after signing a two-way contract during the summer, credited “a great scout report” for the defensive effort against Flagg.

“I think (Dominick Barlow) started off on him. Big credit to him,” Walker said. “He had a great night tonight, also. I want to show him some love with that. I think either one of us could have finished the game. We both understand that about each other. So, some games it is going to be (like that). So I just tried to feed off the energy he had tonight.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

Saturday’s game featured two of the top selections in June’s draft, with Edgecombe (26 points, six rebounds, four assists), who was chosen at No. 3, slightly outperforming the top pick Flagg (24 points, four rebounds, three assists). Nurse marveled at the ability of both players to be able to contribute right away, Pompey states in the same piece. “The rookies that have impacted in a big way is really something,” he said. “Especially considering those two guys are really young. I guess they’re really good. I think most rookies, you will see flashes. You will see one great game, then six go by. These guys are starting to do it like night in, night out. And to me, that’s like what the NBA is.”
Joel Embiid sat out both weekend games due to right knee injury management and an illness, Pompey adds. He’s now up to 16 missed games for the season and will almost certainly fall short of the 65-game requirement to qualify for postseason awards. “He just didn’t have a great week with the illness and a little bit of soreness in the right knee,” Nurse said. “And fortunately, we can get through the week and … get another couple of days, and hopefully get him going.”
Barlow, another two-way offseason addition, was more aggressive than usual in attacking the basket against Dallas, observes Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (subscription required). The fourth-year forward finished with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, taking advantage of his matchup with Klay Thompson and the Mavs’ defensive focus on Maxey. “If he’s scoring the ball the way he does, they’re gonna over-help on that. Or if they’re switching they’re not gonna worry as much about me as they are him, and that makes a lot of sense,” Barlow explained. “Just being aggressive on that, to make them where they have to respect me, guarding the ball, knowing that I will do that (drive), will make his life easier.”

Southwest Notes: Poole, Flagg, Wembanyama, Spurs

December 17th, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

After losing 22 of their first 25 games, the Pelicans are 2-0 since Jordan Poole returned from a quad strain. Poole, whose 18-game injury absence was the longest of his NBA career, admitted it was difficult to be patient during his recovery and rehab process, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required).

“It’s one of those things where no matter what I did or no matter what treatment or recovery work that I did, the injury itself just needed time,” Poole said. “I was basically doing 24 hours around the clock of treatment and recovery trying to make the most of the opportunity of having time off. But also pushing myself that when I come back, I’m able to make an impact.”

Poole came off the bench last Thursday vs. Portland and on Sunday in Chicago, but he was an important contributor in both games, scoring a total of 38 points and handing out seven assists. New Orleans outscored the Trail Blazers and Bulls by 19 points in his 53 minutes on the court.

Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego referred to Poole as a “savvy scorer” and lauded him for his ability to keep “constant pressure” on opposing defenses.

“I think just his overall impact on the game is tremendous,” Borrego said. “He can go on a big run by himself. He can turn a two-point game into a six-point or eight-point game quickly on both ends of the floor. He’s coming with the right mentality. He’s not trying to force it. He’s trying to play within our system and be a team guy and that’s what we need.”

We have more from around the Southwest Division:

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg continues to look more comfortable in his first NBA season, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic. On Monday, the Mavericks forward became the first 18-year-old in league history to score at least 40 points in a game, as he racked up 42 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in an overtime loss to Utah. Flagg will celebrate his 19th birthday this Sunday.
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was playing with a heavy heart on Tuesday in the NBA Cup final vs. New York. As Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) writes, Wembanyama’s grandmother passed away on Tuesday morning. The 21-year-old told reporters during his post-game media session that he “just lost somebody today” and – after taking two questions – made an early exit alongside a team staffer.
Could a deep run in the NBA Cup be a precursor to a deep run in the playoffs? Given that the Pacers made a conference finals and then an NBA Finals after losing the 2023 NBA Cup and the Thunder won a title after finishing as the runner-up in the 2024 Cup, Kevin Pelton of ESPN considers whether postseason success could be around the corner for the Spurs.
For their part, the Spurs are looking forward to building on the experience of playing higher-stakes games early in the season, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN relays. “Sky is the limit,” rookie guard Dylan Harper said. “It’s our second game (with a healthy roster). It’s nothing to overreact about. We have won a lot of close games in the Cup or in the season in general. To be on this side is definitely a good learning experience. It teaches us a lot about ourselves, and it’s good that we have a whole lot of room to grow knowing what we have done up to this point.”

Mavericks Notes: Flagg, AD, Latest Win, Nembhard

December 14th, 2025 at 2:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Although the Mavericks didn’t find much success using Cooper Flagg as their starting point guard to open the season, both the rookie forward and head coach Jason Kidd believe the experience will benefit the No. 1 overall pick in the long term, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com.

“For sure, I think it definitely helped me to grow,” Flagg said of those games as the lead guard. “I learned a lot in that short period of time. We started the season with a lot of losses and a lot of tough games. I think I learned a lot in general. Just being comfortable and understanding is a big thing.

“I’d never really played point guard before. It’s a lot different than any other position. You have to be aware of a lot of other things. It’s a lot of new stuff if you haven’t done it before. I think I learned a ton about what it takes to lead a team as a point guard. I think it was pretty good for me.”

Kidd admitted the move wasn’t popular, but says he’s determined to help Flagg improve.

“From past experiences of giving others the ball, we’ve had success and failures,” Kidd said. “This is an 18-year-old playing against the best players in the world. I want to see how he handles it. I thought he did an incredible job (at point guard). The numbers will say something different. But I think as time goes on, there’s always a big picture.

“We’re playing the long game with him because of his age. We want to hopefully be a part of that successful story. He can handle that. He’s never come to me saying he doesn’t want to do something. He’s open to ideas and that’s kind of cool for a young kid that has all this information that’s pouring into him. Tell him one thing and he can deliver.”

We have more from Dallas:

ESPN’s NBA insiders suggest five hypothetical Anthony Davis trades, with Bobby Marks analyzing each of the proposals. A five-team blockbuster that sends Davis to Atlanta and Zach LaVine and a pair of protected first-round picks to Dallas is the most appealing deal from the Mavericks’ perspective, according to Marks.
Speaking of Davis, the 10-time All-Star big man has been a major part of the team’s recent turnaround, Sefko writes for the team’s website. The Mavs have won five of their past six games, with Davis carrying the team to victory on Friday against Brooklyn, finishing with 24 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in 33 minutes. “He’s one of the best players at his position of all time,” Flagg said. “He knows the game incredibly well. He knows when to pick his spots, when to attack and when he’s getting doubled and where everybody is on the court. Whatever he’s doing out there, he’s going to be himself and keep it simple. He’s going to make the right play all the time.”
Rookie point guard Ryan Nembhard has been one of the pleasant surprises in a turbulent season in Dallas. Nembhard’s teammates rave about the 5’11” Canadian’s game, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “Ryan is nice — I’m not going to lie,” said guard Brandon Williams, who lost his starting spot to Nembhard. “He gets to the rim. People kind of look at his size, but he uses his size to his advantage. He gets by people, he makes plays for others, and everybody on our team loves playing with him. Even if he’s not getting the assist, the ball is moving with him on the floor and everybody likes that. We all see it and I think that’s what’s contributed to us winning.”

Afseth’s Latest: Mavs, AD, Klay, Giannis, Morant, Kessler, More

December 12th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Although Dallas’ front office is open to listening to offers on Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and D’Angelo Russell, the Mavericks aren’t “aggressively shopping” any of those four veterans, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.

As Afseth details, rival teams have gotten the impression that the Mavericks are currently evaluating not only their play to this point in the season but also their options on the trade market. They’re viewed as being “opportunistic” instead of a seller, Afseth writes, and whatever moves Dallas makes will be geared toward improving the team’s “long-term outlook.”

According to Afseth, the Mavs want to see Kyrie Irving play alongside Cooper Flagg and believe the star guard can complement the rookie forward and assist in Flagg’s development. Irving’s name is notably not among the aforementioned group.

While the Pistons, Hawks and Raptors are reportedly expected to among the suitors for Davis, sources who spoke to Afseth expressed skepticism about Davis’ fit in Detroit and Atlanta, with Toronto viewed as the best on-court landing spot of the group. Still, as Marc Stein recently reported and Afseth confirms, a Davis trade shouldn’t be viewed as an inevitability.

“The Mavericks are going to want to see how this team looks with AD and Kyrie,” one source told Afseth. “There is no sense in trying to just get rid of AD. The market has to be where they want to make a deal. If there isn’t a good enough deal on the table, I don’t see a deal getting done. They’d get another look at the trade market or evaluate an extension in the summer.”

Here are a few more highlights from Afseth’s rumor round-up:

While Thompson’s on-court contributions have been up and down during his time in Dallas, he has remained a “positive” presence despite the organizational turmoil following the Luka Doncic trade, Afseth reports. If Dallas does end up having serious discussions about Thompson, the team is expected to be “considerate” of Thompson’s desire to play for a contender, Afseth adds.
The future of Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest storyline on the trade market, but Afseth hears there haven’t been any new developments on that front. Some rival executives still view the Knicks as the favorites to land Antetokounmpo if he’s made available, but the Heat and Spurs are among the other potential suitors for the two-time MVP.
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who returned from a 10-game absence on Friday, is not currently available on the trade market, per Afseth. Should that change, the Heat are not viewed as being a strong fit for the two-time All-Star, Afseth continues.
The Rockets, Timberwolves and Kings are among the teams keeping an eye on point guards ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Afseth.
The Pacers have done background work on Jazz center Walker Kessler, according to Afseth, who says Tyrese Haliburton is a fan of the fourth-year big man. Kessler, who is out for the year following shoulder surgery, was seeking $120MM+ on a long-term rookie scale extension before the season began, Afseth reports. Kessler will be a restricted free agent next offseason.

Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Named Rookies Of The Month

December 2nd, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been named the NBA’s October/November Rookies of the Month for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).

According to the league, it’s the first time since the NBA began handing out Rookie of The Month honors by conference in 2001/02 that the Western and Eastern winners were from the same college program.

The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Flagg got off to a bit of a slow start for the struggling Mavericks, but had a big November that he wrapped up by scoring a career-high 35 points in a win over the Clippers on Saturday.

In total, the 18-year-old forward averaged 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals in 34.0 minutes per game across 20 outings in October and November. Flagg made just 25.3% of his three-point tries, but posted solid field goal (46.2%) and free throw (80.3%) percentages.

Flagg beat out Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward and Pelicans teammates Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who were also nominated in the West, per the NBA (Twitter link).

In the East, Knueppel won the award over fellow nominees VJ Edgecombe of the Sixers and Hornets teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner. The fourth overall pick has immediately emerged as a go-to offensive option in Charlotte after starring alongside Flagg with the Blue Devils in his first and only college season.

In his first 20 games, Knueppel averaged 18.4 points per game on .470/.413/.898 shooting while also contributing 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.

Flagg is currently the slight betting favorite for this season’s Rookie of the Year award. Both he and Knueppel are considered significant favorites over the rest of the field.

Southwest Notes: Flagg, Washington, Morant, Vassell

November 30th, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Cooper Flagg made history for the Mavericks on back-to-back nights, writes Tim MacMahon for ESPN.

One day after becoming the youngest player to record 10 or more assists in a game, Flagg became the youngest player to score 35 points in a game, sneaking the record in five days earlier than LeBron James accomplished the same feat in 2003. Most importantly, Flagg’s 35 points came in a win, which have been few and far between for a struggling Mavericks team this fall.

“He’s only 18 years old, but he seems like he’s been in this league before,” coach Jason Kidd said. “You can call it point guard or whatever, but he ran the offense for us. He drove the ball. The ball touched the paint. He got to the rim, got to the free throw line, stepped up and made free throws for us late.”

Veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson, who had one of his best games of the season in the win, spoke highly of Flagg following Saturday’s game.

“Cooper’s upside is limitless,” Thompson said. “He has every tool to be great. Sometimes I can’t believe he should be a freshman in college.”

Thompson also threw out a lofty comparison to his situation in relation to Flagg, according to The Athletic’s Christian Clark, making reference to the Lakers in the first year of Kobe Bryant’s career.

“I feel like [Byron Scott] sometimes,” Thompson said. “The old, wise veteran. The future of the franchise to my side. It’s pretty cool to be a part of it. To be witnesses to what he’s going to do for a long time.”

We have more from around the Southwest Division:

Mavericks forward P.J. Washington was a late scratch on Saturday due to a right ankle sprain suffered when he slipped on a ball during warmups, Mike Curtis writes for the Dallas Morning News. Washington, who was still active for the game, was initially listed as questionable to return, but was ruled out around the end of the first quarter. His status for Dallas’ upcoming three-game road trip is unclear.
Ja Morant will be reevaluated next week once the Grizzlies return to Memphis on Tuesday following their four-game road trip, tweets Michael Wallace of Grind City Media. This update is in line with the timeline announced for Morant when he initially was diagnosed with the calf strain. Wallace notes that the point guard is currently engaged in light on-court warmup work.
Devin Vassell has been on a tear of late, scoring more points in the Spurs‘ past two games than in any other two-game stretch of his career, writes Jeff McDonald for the San Antonio Express-News. That run included a 35-point explosion in a win against the Nuggets on Friday night, in which his teammates were well aware of the zone he was in. “[Keldon Johnson] told me in the last two minutes if the ball comes to me, don’t think,” Vassell said. “Just be aggressive and shoot.” As impressive as Vassell’s scoring was, head coach Mitch Johnson was happy to see the intensity the 25-year-old brought on the defensive end of the court. “He’s becoming a winning player,” Johnson said. “We’ve got our arm around him and our foot up his backside to continue to do it. He’s a difference maker when he does that.”

Mavericks Notes: AD, Luka, Flagg, Nembhard, Cisse

November 29th, 2025 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks big man Anthony Davis slightly exceeded the minutes restriction he had Friday in his first game back following a 14-game absence, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The star forward/center, who was facing the Lakers for the first time since the shocking February trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Davis to Dallas, faced immediate double-teams, ultimately finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 28 minutes.

“I thought he was good for his first game back,” head coach Jason Kidd said (story via Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal). “We’ll try to get the rhythm and try to get the flow of just being with those guys on the floor. I thought he was good on both ends. As we go forward and continue, as we talked about, to stacking good minutes, he did that.”

The Mavericks wound up losing by 10 points to fall to 5-15, the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Davis is optimistic the team still has time to turn its season around, Afseth adds.

“We’re still playing basketball, we’re trying to compete,” Davis said. “We are competing, we’re playing for each other, and we’re playing together. I remember when Brooklyn started off 5-20 and ended up at the four seed. I’m not saying we’re comparing ourselves to that or that we’re going to start off 5-20, but we just have to keep competing. There were just a couple of plays here and there that hurt us, but we can’t complain, we keep fighting. I feel like we’re right there.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

It’s been almost 10 months since Doncic was traded, but he says matchups against his former team will always be meaningful, Afseth writes in another story for Dallas Hoops Journal. “I would say it’s a little bit easier now,” Doncic said. “But games against Dallas always have some special meaning to me. I still have a lot of friends there. It’s important, it’s fun, and it’s always special. Like I say, it’ll always be special for me.”
After the game, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News asked Doncic for his thoughts on Cooper Flagg (Twitter video link). “I think he’s a good player,” Doncic said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure that comes with (being) the first pick so he has a lot on his shoulders, but I think he will become a great player.” The 18-year-old rookie had 13 points, a career-high 11 assists and seven rebounds in the loss.
Rookie Ryan Nembhard, who is on a two-way contract, received his first career start on Friday, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). The former Gonzaga point guard had a solid outing, recording 17 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) and four assists in 23 minutes. “They weren’t really guarding me,” Nembhard said, per Afseth. “They was trying to play off me and stand those gaps for AD and double him and make it tough on him. So a lot of open shots presented themselves and I’m just trying to be aggressive, get my teammates involved, and take advantage of the opportunity.”
In a feature story for Ratings, Afseth details how undrafted rookie Moussa Cisse has become a valuable contributor for the Mavs. Like Nembhard, the Guinean center is on a two-way deal with Dallas. “He’s a bit undersized at the five, but he’s explosive and plays extremely hard,” a scout said. “He’s a bit further along than I expected, but there’s still plenty of work there. You can tell he’s still getting used to guarding NBA actions and talent — his angles can use some work. But he’s really dynamic rotating from the weak side and he’s going to crash the boards hard on both ends. I like his potential.”