Contesting Chet Holmgren at the basket, Cooper Flagg instead helped him draw a poster. The seven-footer only needed one pump-fake to get PJ Washington to bite and off he soared for the vicious one-handed jam that had OKC fans jump out of their couch.
As Flagg heaved the ball in the final seconds, Holmgren nonchalantly swatted it away. That about summed up the 18-year-old’s performance.
The Oklahoma City Thunder escaped with a 101-94 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Once holding a 22-point lead, it was dwindled to just one in the final moments. Alas, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company did just enough to avoid the meltdown.
Tough way to lose to the Mavericks. Flagg was also forgettable. He only had two points on 1-of-9 shooting and two rebounds. Battling a shoulder injury, he was completely shut down by OKC’s defense.
Despite that, the Thunder had plenty of positives to say about the 2025 No. 1 pick. Here’s what they said about Flagg after facing him in the regular season for the first time:
Mark Daigneault
“He’s obviously a really talented player that’s got a very bright future. I think because he’s the No. 1 pick of the draft, it becomes like day trading his evaluations and performances every single night. He’s going to get better month over month and year over year. Obviously, a very talented guy that’s got great feel for the game. He’s been very impressive so far.”
Isaiah Hartenstein
“Great talent. I think physically, great player. He’s put in a role where he has to play point guard. So I think that’s always going to time to adjust. I think being put in a position you probably haven’t played as much is always hard for a player. We saw it last year. Me and Chet trying to figure that out playing with each other. I think great talent and they have a great coach. He’ll be good.”