Spurs vs Mavericks Preview: Rookie Phenom Cooper Flagg Makes NBA Debut vs Victor Wembanyama

Spurs vs Mavericks Preview: Rookie Phenom Cooper Flagg Makes NBA Debut vs Victor Wembanyama

Back here on CBS Sports HQ, the NBA is back and man, opening night gave us some fireworks. How about this? Luca dropping a team high 43 points as he debuted for his first full season with the Lakers. Um, but 43 just wasn’t enough because the Dubs beat the Lakers, who of course were without LeBron James as he’s dealing with that back issue. Jimmy Butler scored a team high 31 points. It’s the Lakers losing their season opener for the ninth time in 10 years. So, we still got to get used to seeing Luca on the Lakers, right? So, let’s kind of rewind the clock and remember how it all happened, don’t we? So, we have this Luca AD trade where the Mavs, they got AD, a 2029 first round pick. The Lakers get a hall, including of course the main thing, Luca Donuch. The Mavs then had a 1.8% 8% chance to land the number one overall pick. And sure enough, they got it. I will never forget watching Nico Harrison in that conference room when he found out that he was going to be able to draft Cooper Flag. And we’re going to see Cooper Flag in action tonight. We have Ash relive the heist of the century. Oh, I know. And if you’re a Mavs fan, I don’t know how you feel about that. It’s low lows, high highs. Um Ash, great to be here with you. Cooper Flag, he is in action as they are taking on the Spurs for their season opener. A lot of things here with WBY and then of course Cooper Flag as well with Cooper. A lot of conversation about what is he going to look like at this next level. Very, very high expectations. What do you expect to see from him? You know what, I think it’s really, you know, Cooper Flag is a phenom because of how NBA ready he is. Obviously, look, there’s a lot of room for improvement like there are for most rookies, right? But I think the thing about Cooper Flag when watching him play in college, you know, at the Final Four is so much of his game translates effortlessly to the league now. And I think also, here’s the thing, the Dallas Mavericks are going to rely on him, but heavily, but I think they’re also on in an interesting space in terms of their timeline. This is not the Dallas Mavericks of the Luca era where it’s like, all right, when are we going to start winning? I think that they do know there’s going to be a slight regression, although there is a phenomenal roster in place. There are some things that have to be done in order to make this a championship team. Obviously, Kyrie Irving is not in the mix. So, you have D’Angelo Russell at the point. Also, Cooper Flag has an adjustment period and you always have to worry about health and availability. Obviously, Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis are of a particular age. Derrick Lively has dealt with some injury. He’s coming fresh off of that. So, the talent is there. I don’t know if the expectations are as high as they were a season ago, which might work in their favor. It’s super It’s absolutely going to work in Cooper’s favor for sure. Yeah. And and Ash, you have a predicted stat line. We’re getting real into the weeds for Cooper flag here. So, I know we can talk expectations, but when it comes down to the numbers, what is that stat line going to look like? So, for me, I have them sitting at 25 and five. And I say this because again going back to just how NBA ready I think that he is. Again, a lot of aspects of his game that he can improve on and he will improve on, but I just think that when you’re talking about someone that comes out of Duke, there are a few programs in the world of collegiate basketball that just have guys who are so NBA ready. It’s essentially, you know, the Bama of the basketball world and some other schools as well. Um, and I just think that it’s not going to be um, maybe the most explosive game for him, but it’s going to be a solid game. And this is a kid who has no problem scoring the basketball. He’s great defensively. He’s great offensively. He likes to play on those boards. And I think we’re going to see a little bit of everything tonight. Okay. And it’s not just Cooper Flag. Of course, we’re going to get We Wy back because I’m so excited to get WBY back. I know. He missed 36 games last season dealing with that blood clot issue. He has been cleared of that and I think that’s the sentiment, right? We are all so excited to see Victor Webbyama in action. Yeah, first and foremost, obviously very excited for him from a health perspective. Um, you know, obviously the blood clots are nothing to play with and we’ve seen some incredible talent. I think of LaMarcus Aldridge whose career ended because of that. You also think of Chris Bosch who ended his career earlier than maybe he wanted to because of the same thing. So, I am so glad that WBY is cleared from a health perspective, but this is the unicorn and this is the the alien, if you will. Um, and we’re so excited to see him play. I think that last year he was my favorite for the DPO and obviously with his season being cut short, that wasn’t a possibility for him, but he is going to pick up, I feel like, exactly where he left off. This kid is a freak of nature from a multitude of different angles. again, offense, defense, someone that big, that lanky, being able to shoot the way he does, being able to defend the way he does. And I feel like every single season, even though we only saw it in small glimpse last season, um he’s just progressed. And I think that from his summer league debut where a lot of people were like, I don’t know, is this game going to translate to the American game? Which was crazy. Um to where he is now and what we’ve seen in small glimmers in his offseason workouts. It’s going to be really fun to watch him this season. So Ash, I know you put out your projections, you know, for the East and for the West, and both of these teams are favored to make the playoffs this season. Which do you feel is gonna have a deeper run? So, I do think that the Spurs could be a sleeper team. And remember, when we have uh the play-in scenario, anything is possible. But if you ask me who I think is going to make a bigger push. Now, this is also in my mind very dependent on whether or not Kyrie Irving comes back because I think Kyrie Irving at the point guard completely changes the Dallas Mavericks. But I do like what the Mavs have on paper right now, even without Kyrie. I just feel like as talented as the Spurs are on paper, you have Dylan Harper, you have WBY who missed most of last season, there’s going to be an adjustment period there. I don’t know if this team is quite where the Spurs want them yet in order to make a serious push in a Western Conference that’s so deep, so talented. So, give me the Dallas Mavericks just from the aspect of experience and I just like that roster a little bit more in terms of where they are in development. Yeah, because there really is a young core there in San Antonio. So, how many years away do you think they are in this really stacked uh to your point? Not that far. I think that realistically, I think that this season is going to be a big developmental season for them from a chemistry standpoint, from players coming into their own. Um, I think that this is going to be the year that kind of helps them take that leap next season. This is not going to be a championship team next season, but I would not be surprised if we were looking at a San Antonio Spurs team that was an actual playoff team next year. Okay. And let’s bring it back to tonight. We want to get a pick. How do you think it goes down? Ooh, give me give me Dallas. Okay. Give me the Mavs. All right. Yeah, you’re roll with the Mavs. How come Dallas? Um, again, I just think you have Klay Thompson, you have Derek Lively, you you have a little bit more experience on this team, a little bit more of a you have a team that has already played with each other outside of Cooper Flag. Um, obviously D’Angelo Russell is a new addition, but I just never underestimate the experience of chemistry, the experience of a first game of an NBA season. And again, I just think that Cooper flag in my mind is a little bit more NBA ready right off the bat than Dylan Harper. Okay, Ash, we certainly appreciate it. Previewing the slate that we have on deck for tonight where we’re going to see the number one overall pick in Cooper Flash, baby action. Look at the Magic, Ash, I know the Are you going to sing the song? Um, Orlando Magic. You guys, if you guys don’t win that game, we have a problem. Okay. Oh, you just you just created a monster. We’re only two days in and I’m already singing the song, baby. We have the Celtics and the Sixers. Yes, we are so back. The NBA rolls on tonight and of course, we are looking forward to Wembi versus Cooper Flag at 9:30 Eastern.

Ashley Nicole Moss joins CBS Sports HQ to preview Spurs-Mavericks.

(00:00) Lakers fall short despite Luka Doncic’s heroics
(00:53) Expectations for Cooper Flagg
(03:49) Wemby returns after missing 36 games last season
(05:39) Both teams favored to make Playoffs

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