Cooper Flagg reminds former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban of Kobe Bryant

LAS VEGAS – The shots misfired with the same frequency as card players losing to the dealer.

That left Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg offering the same self-criticism some gamblers have after losing once again to the house. At least Flagg didn’t lose money. Instead, the Mavericks’ 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at Thomas & Mack Center featured Cooper scoring only 10 points while shooting 5-for-21 from the field and 0-for-5 from 3-point range in his Vegas Summer League debut.

“I would say that’s one of the worst games of my life,” Flagg said. “But we got the win. So that’s what really matters to me.”

The other thing that matters: neither the Mavericks nor Flagg sounded concerned about his debut. Summer League performances rarely foreshadow NBA excellence or failure. But one important Mavericks figure saw a positive development as he observed Flagg’s shots clank off the rim.

“You kind of have to think of the Kobe [Bryant] arc,” former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban told a small group of reporters. “It took him some time to get it right. I don’t want to curse him by comparing him to Kobe because they’re not the same. But Kobe didn’t come in right away as a polished player. It took him two years to get it.”

In 1996, the Lakers traded center Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for Bryant’s draft rights with the No. 13 pick after becoming impressed with how he starred at Lower Merion High School and dominated his pre-draft workouts. But Bryant averaged only 7.6 points his rookie season while playing 65 of his 71 games off the bench. That season ended with Bryant shooting four airballs in a decisive Game 5 loss to the Utah Jazz in the second round. That moment made Bryant more determined to address his shooting inconsistency with more off-season workouts. Eventually, Bryant won five NBA championships and climbed to No. 4 on the league’s all-time scoring list through 20 NBA seasons.

“I think the difference is that Cooper can pass,” Cuban said. “He can play the game. He can defend. So you can put him in any NBA game.”

Aside from Flagg’s poor shooting numbers, the Mavericks walked away actually impressed with how the No. 1 pick fared.

Flagg added six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. He often assumed ball-handling duties. He ran the floor well in transition. He performed that job description in 32 minutes, though Cuban joked it felt like “90 minutes.”

“He’s only 18 so you can play him 90 minutes in a summer league game,” Cuban said. “Even if you could tell he was gassed, he still made the right play. He didn’t try to do too much and say, ‘Hey, I’m the No. 1 pick. Let me try to show you why. He played basketball the whole time.’ And he’s 18. My daughter just graduated from high school last month, and he’s younger than her.”

Incidentally, Flagg made a stronger impression in Las Vegas last year. As a member of the U.S. Men’s Select Team, Flagg scrimmaged against the U.S. Men’s Olympic team and seriously tested them as preparation for the 2024 Rio Olympics. Then, Flagg made two 3s over Anthony Davis, a turnaround jumper over Jrue Holiday and a putback over Bam Adebayo.

Flagg did not offer such heroics against second-year player Bronny James. He missed a potential game-winning 3. He ended with eight points while going 2-for-8 from the field and 1-for-6 from deep. But James often defended Flagg and even nearly forced a turnover before an official called him for a foul.

Though Flagg did not make many shots, he stayed aggressive on drive-and-kicks and with taking fall-away shots. Flagg played that way after Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and summer-league coach Josh Broghamer encouraged him to experiment.

“He’s put a lot of confidence in me,” Flagg said of Kidd. “He wants me to do some different things. He wants me to try new things. Keep experimenting. Just trying to expand my game. That’s what I’m trying to do. I just feel a lot of confidence from him and what he wants me to do.”

Flagg’s step-back reminded Cuban of another Maverick luminary.

“That’s the way Dirk [Nowitzki] started off,” Cuban said. “That was Dirk’s go-to move until we lost to the ‘We Believe’ team when Nellie just came on this stint [in 2007]. But it’s the same type of thing. I know he and Dirk talked some. If he can get that Dirk step back, it’s over. He will learn those things. You already know he's trying to see where he can get in the gym and work on his shot.”

Cuban stressed that Flagg and Nowitzki have not worked extensively, saying he has mostly stayed in his native Germany and has prepared for his upcoming gig as an NBA analyst for Amazon. Nonetheless, Cuban expects Flagg will spend part of his rookie season consulting Nowitzki as well as his other veteran teammates, including Kyrie Irivng, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson.

“He doesn’t have to carry a team,” Cuban said. “That’s huge. That allows him to work on the parts of his game that can make him better.”

Before the NBA Draft, rival executives and assistant coaches echoed Cuban’s sentiment to Sportskeeda that Flagg could adapt seamlessly as the team’s No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 option. That’s because they became impressed with how Flagg excelled in various areas during his freshman season at Duke.

Flagg defended multiple positions. Flagg showcased his athleticism with highlight reel dunks. Flagg displayed strong fundamentals with his ball handling and passing. Flagg maintained a disciplined work ethic, humble demeanor and competitive spirit.

“You look at him and think he’s a grown-ass man. But he’s 18. If he can play 20 years, it will be 2045. I mean, come on,” Cuban said. “He’s 75 years old. I don’t know who he got reincarnated for, but he’s more mature than I am right now. If I was as mature as him when I was 18, my body would be in a lot better shape.”

Cuban laughed and smiled as he held court with reporters for over 10 minutes. That marked a much different demeanor than after the Mavericks surprisingly dealt Luke Dončić and Maxi Kleber before the trade deadline last season to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. In various interviews, Cuban made it clear the Mavericks did not consult with him despite maintaining he had a say in basketball matters after selling his majority shares to Patrick Dumont. Cuban also criticized Harrison for not receiving enough in return. Once the Mavericks unexpectedly landed the No. 1 pick, however, Cuban’s sentiments changed about the organization.

“It reduces stress,” Cuban said. “I’m still a Mavs fan for life. I’m still going to all the games. I’m hearing all the stuff. Put aside what happened last year. I think Nico and his team have done a good job.”

Most NBA executives would have drafted Flagg with the No. 1 pick. But Cuban stressed the Mavericks’ front office deserves credit for securing long-term contracts to Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford and acquiring point guard D’Angelo Russell as a free agent.

Nonetheless, the Mavericks will likely need Flagg to remain adaptable as the team’s No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 option. That’s because Irving will remain sidelined at least until the middle of next season while rehabbing a torn ACL in his left knee. It remains to be seen if Davis will stay durable, too.

First things first. Flagg plans to improve his shooting numbers when the Mavericks play against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

“I’m not necessarily worried. But obviously I’m not happy with how it went,” Flagg said. “But at the end of the day, we get the win. So I’m happy with that.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.