Kidd noncommittal about keeping Flagg at PG

LAS VEGAS -- Dallas Mavericks manager Jason Kidd praised Cooper Flagg's show arsenic the starting constituent defender successful the team's last 2 preseason games but stopped abbreviated of committing to opening the play with the 18-year-old rookie filling that relation successful a supersized starting lineup.

"There's a batch of good, affirmative stories here, and truthful we person immoderate clip to marque a decision," Kidd said aft the Mavs' 121-94 win Wednesday implicit the Los Angeles Lakers astatine T-Mobile Arena, successful which Dallas rallied aft a dilatory commencement against an hostile resting astir of its regular rotation players.

The 6-foot-8 Flagg shifted to constituent defender aft starting the archetypal 2 preseason games astatine forward, the presumption helium played astatine Duke. He averaged 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists during his 2 starts astatine constituent defender successful a lineup alongside 6-foot-6 Klay Thompson, 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington, 6-foot-10 Anthony Davis and 7-foot-1 Dereck Lively II.

"He's got to support an scale of who got shots, what was the past shot, and that'll travel with reps," said Kidd, who started offseason escaped bureau summation D'Angelo Russell astatine constituent defender successful the Mavs' archetypal 2 preseason games. "But I deliberation [Flagg] has done an unthinkable occupation of handling the concern of moving the team. And the different happening that I deliberation that is going unnoticed is that his teammates bask him moving the team."

However, Kidd said helium thought the Mavs' discourtesy was excessively stagnant aboriginal successful Wednesday's game, erstwhile the Lakers jumped retired to a 22-10 pb earlier Flagg subbed retired midway done the archetypal quarter. There are spacing concerns with that lineup due to the fact that of a comparative deficiency of playmaking and perimeter shooting, arsenic the Mavs' starters changeable 3-of-15 from 3-point scope against the Lakers.

"Just continuing to get comfortable," Flagg said. "I made immoderate intelligence lapses today, clip and people situations. Got to cognize [and] beryllium alert of what's connected the timepiece astatine each times. Just got to enactment much attached [defensively]. Can't fto a blistery subordinate support getting looks. So immoderate of those things you tin decidedly cleanable up."

Flagg, the No. 1 wide pick, struggled aboriginal successful Wednesday's crippled portion defending Gabe Vincent, who had 18 points and deed 5 3s successful the archetypal 4 minutes, 9 seconds.

"No substance if you're 6-4, 6-2 oregon 6-8, erstwhile you're successful a pick-and-roll successful this league against guys who cognize however to tally the pick-and-roll, it's hard," Kidd said. "It becomes a two-man game, and we'll get amended astatine that. But [with] his competitiveness, he's going to fig it retired sooner than later, and the much he's successful these situations, I deliberation the agelong tally he's going to benefit."