No. 1 pick Flagg assesses Mavs debut: 'Not great'

DALLAS -- On the archetypal violative possession of his NBA career, Cooper Flagg pushed the shot down the level successful transition, gave it up to Anthony Davis and soared into the aerial to drawback the lob walk the 10-time All-Star tossed backmost to him, overmuch to the delight of the sellout assemblage astatine the American Airlines Center.

But Flagg couldn't implicit the item by throwing down the dunk. As the shot rattled retired of the rim, helium crashed into the baseline, landing connected his backside.

It was a series that foreshadowed the No. 1 pick's NBA debut -- a batch of anticipation, but a disappointing effect for Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.

Flagg went scoreless successful the archetypal fractional and finished with 10 points connected 4-of-13 shooting arsenic the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 125-92 rout Wednesday night. The 6-foot-9 Flagg started astatine constituent guard, a presumption helium had ne'er played until joining the Mavs, and committed 3 turnovers without signaling an assist.

"Not great," Flagg said erstwhile asked to measure his performance. "Obviously, didn't play incredibly well, but we've got to determination past it, crook our absorption and commencement looking toward Friday [against the Washington Wizards]."

The crippled was dominated by Spurs halfway Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 prime successful the 2023 draft, who had 40 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Spurs defender Stephon Castle, the Rookie of the Year past season, added 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals portion pestering Flagg arsenic his superior defender.

"He didn't sprout the shot well, but helium seemed a batch much poised than I thought helium would be," Castle said of Flagg. "I mean, my archetypal crippled I was retired determination nervous. He made immoderate bully reads. He didn't look excessively rattled, truthful I deliberation he'll person a large year."

San Antonio defender Dylan Harper, the No. 2 prime down Flagg, had the much awesome debut. He scored 15 points connected 7-of-14 shooting successful 23 minutes disconnected the bench.

Flagg, connected the different hand, didn't people until making a midrange jumper connected the opening possession of the 2nd half.

"Game one. I mean, he's inactive a rookie," said Davis, who had a team-high 22 points connected 7-of-22 shooting arsenic the Mavs' discourtesy sputtered. "You're coming successful and preseason was evidently good, but erstwhile that crippled 1 comes astir [in a] packed stadium, nationalist TV crippled ... I'm not definite if he's a societal media feline oregon not, but you saw it -- everything was No. 1 prime Cooper Flagg and Wemby lucifer up and each this stuff. So you commencement you proceeding it, and I'm not definite if it got to him, but it's first-game jitters erstwhile it's clip for the existent thing. So he'll beryllium fine."

Flagg did negociate to go the 5th Dallas subordinate to grounds a double-double successful his NBA debut, grabbing 10 rebounds successful his 32 minutes. That database includes his coach, Jason Kidd, who didn't see the 18-year-old's debut to beryllium discouraging.

"I thought helium played well. Now, the stat enactment is not going to accidental that, but nary 1 successful this country is sitting successful his shoes. As a rookie, helium did good and he's going to larn from this game. We each will, and we'll beryllium amended adjacent clip we instrumentality the floor," Kidd said.

According to ESPN Research, the Mavs scored lone 8 points connected the 19 possessions that Flagg brought the shot up the floor. He is listed arsenic the constituent defender successful a supersized lineup successful which 6-foot-6 Kl...