Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Wanted More Summer League Games to Prove His Best Outing Wasn't a "Fluke"

Despite being touted as a generational talent, Cooper Flagg remains eager to prove himself. The Dallas Mavericks rookie played only two games, averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds. 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks.

He had a rough first game against Bronny James and the LA Lakers in which he scored 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, shooting a measly 5-for-21.

However, Flagg bounced back in his second appearance against the San Antonio Spurs. He torched No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and Co., tallying 31 points, four rebounds and an assist on 10 of 21 shots. Just as Flagg got comfortable, the Mavericks pulled the plug on their star rookie in the Summer League.

The former Duke star wanted to continue playing for one reason, but Dallas forced him to sit. Here's what one Mavericks executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith about Flagg's motivation to stay active:

"He shot like crap in his first game here (Las Vegas). Second game he dominated. We had a plan to play only two games. Cooper comes to the us and the coaches and asks to play a third game.

"We laughed and told him, ‘No. You’re good.’ And he goes, ‘I just don’t want people to think the good game was a fluke.’ All we could do was laugh, but it shows how much he wants to be great."

Cooper Flagg went No. 1 in the draft and has an opportunity to thrive on a contending team next to Anthony Davis. Generally, a player in his position shouldn't be going above and beyond to prove himself, but Flagg displayed that he's got more to him than just his talent.

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Eastern Conference GM wishes his team got lucky with Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg has rival NBA teams on their feet despite only two Summer League outings, including a 23.8% shooting performance against the highly watched game against the LA Lakers.

An Eastern Conference executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith that they wished they had the same luck as the Mavericks, who let go of their former generational talent in Luka Doncic to land another one in Flagg, with odds stacked against them.

"It pays to be lucky, right? Dallas got a generational talent when those lottery balls bounced their way. That kid is unbelievable. You knew after he played like crap in the first game out here that he was going to be great the next time out. He’s an ass-kicker. Wish we had that kind of luck."

Cooper Flagg will contend for a championship in his first few seasons with former No. 1 picks Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving by his side. Despite being only 19 when the year ends, Flagg is viewed as a vital cog for Dallas in its title aspirations.