Cooper Flagg spent his entire college career as the best player on the floor in every game. That wasn’t true for his NBA debut with the Dallas Mavericks, though that can hardly be held against the 18-year-old.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft posted 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds and three turnovers, against the San Antonio Spurs in his first true taste of NBA action, which wasn’t nearly enough to offset the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
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Victor Wembanyama went off for 40 points (15-of-21 shooting), 15 rebounds and 3 blocks to lead a 125-92 Spurs win.
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Flagg had to wait until the third quarter to notch his first NBA points, on a deep midrange jumper. Entering halftime, the Rookie of the Year favorite was sitting at zero points on 0-for-2 shooting.
At 18 years and 305 days old, Flagg is the youngest player to debut in the NBA since LeBron James, who was at 18 years and 303 days when he first appeared for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
Cooper Flagg could be a work in progress for the Mavericks. (Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
Flagg entered this season with a mountain of hype, as possibly the best American prospect since his teammate Anthony Davis, who had 22 points on 7-of-22 shooting and 13 rebounds Wednesday, hit the league in 2012. At his best, he could be a do-everything point forward who leads his team on both sides of the floor.
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He didn’t fill that role Wednesday and that should hardly be a surprise given his age and the talent around him. Landing Flagg was a boon for the Mavericks precisely because they already had a roster of veteran players expected to compete in the playoffs this season, and he’s being thrown directly into the fire as a starter.
With Kyrie Irving out and D’Angelo Russell coming off the bench, Flagg was also tasked with point guard duties. It’s also worth noting that Flagg would be preparing for his college career right now had he not reclassified in high school. He is uncommonly young, even by one-and-done standards.
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His next game will come on Friday in another home game against the Washington Wizards.
How the 2025 NBA Draft top picks performed in their debuts
While Flagg was grinding, VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, posted the most points seen in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain. Here’s how he and the other picks in the top 7 all performed Wednesday.