Cooper Flagg was heavily guarded in the left corner by Dyson Daniels with the shot clock winding down and tossed the ball to Naji Marshall, but the pass was picked off by Jalen Johnson.
The turnover was one of six for the Mavericks rookie, marking a new career-high in Wednesday’s lopsided 135-120 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Jason Kidd knows firsthand that it takes two to complete an assist and the smallest disruption could lead to an arrant pass or turnover. The Mavericks coach ranks third in NBA history in assists, but those passes wouldn’t have been recorded on the stat sheet if the recipients didn’t finish with a basket.
Flagg has seen an influx in his assists per game since he returned from a left midfoot sprain that sidelined him for eight games. He averaged 6.6 assists over the last nine games entering Wednesday’s game — an uptick from the 4.1 helpers per game before his injury.
Mavericks
One could surmise that Flagg is being more intentional with the pass as he looks to regain his scoring rhythm, but Kidd doesn’t share the same perspective.
“He’s been doing that,” Kidd said during his pregame news conference. “I think a little bit of that is also [teammates] being able to finish and make shots. For us as a group, we’re starting to make shots and I think that’s helped him. But he’s been making a lot of those plays. Early on, we weren’t converting those and right now we are.”
The Mavericks converted on 42 of their 86 field goal attempts in Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks, which marked the 10th straight loss at home.
It was a night when they made 48.8% overall, 39.3% from 3 and 86.2% from the free throw line, but Atlanta entered as the hottest team in the NBA. The Hawks won their 11th straight game because they excelled on offense and buckled down defensively, especially on Flagg, who saw his three-game streak of at least 20 points come to an end.
The Mavericks rookie finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, which continued a streak of 10 straight games with at least five assists. With the loss, Dallas loses the season series to the Hawks one week after suffering a 124-112 loss in Atlanta on March 10.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder was asked about Flagg before the game and playmaking was one of his main impressions.
“It’s not only his ability, he’s also willing and similar to what we have with Jalen [Johnson],” Snyder said. “When you have that height, you’re able to pass over the top of the defense at times and he’s got good vision.”
The Hawks’ 11th-ranked defense limited Flagg to just 14 points in the first matchup and his 17 points didn’t come easy as they pressured him throughout the night. Flagg had an uncomfortable night, often showing moments of frustration because of the physicality of Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson. He’s reached new heights all season, but the high turnover rate marked a new low.
“They’re a physical team and they’re going to get their hands in there,” Kidd said. “I think a lot of times, it’s not just the guy that’s on you. It’s the guys who are in the gaps and they’re able to get deflections and knock the ball away.
“That was a big part of Coop’s issue in the sense of beating the first guy, but the second or third guy was there to swipe.”
Flagg had five assists, but Ryan Nembhard led the Mavericks with eight points and 12 assists. The rookie point guard isn’t worried about Flagg’s off night, especially since he’s overcome difficult stretches throughout the season.
“He’ll be fine,” Nembhard told The Dallas Morning News. “I mean, he’s dealt with so much this year. There’s been so much put on his shoulders. He’s handled it great all year. He’ll bounce back. He’s a hell of a player and I’m sure he’ll have another good performance on Saturday.”
The Mavericks will look to break their 10-game home losing streak on Saturday against the LA Clippers.
X/Twitter: @MikeACurtis2
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.