Why is Cooper Flagg not playing against Hornets? Mavericks rookie's absence in NBA Summer League clash explored

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg has been shut down for the rest of the NBA Summer League, Marc Stein reported following Dallas’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Flagg made two Summer League appearances for the Mavs, against the Lakers on Thursday and the Spurs, but will miss out against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.

His first performance left much to be desired, as Flagg finished with 10 points, shooting 5-for-21. But he stuffed the stat sheet with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. His second game vs. San Antonio was much better, though.

The Mavericks lost 76-69, but Flagg was dominant, finishing with 31 points and four rebounds, shooting 10-for-21. He was 3-for-9 from 3-point range. The No.1 pick demonstrated his skills as a forward, showing that he could be a matchup problem for many teams next season.

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Flagg ended up outperforming this year’s No. 2 pick, Dylan Harper. The Spurs rookie finished with 16 points, six rebounds and two steals, shooting 5-for-12, and went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.

In two games, Cooper Flagg has demonstrated how he can impact the game at the top level, thanks to his size and athleticism. The Mavericks have shut him down for the rest of the Summer League as they hope to keep the star rookie fresh for the preseason.

“Going to be something special”: Bronny James on Cooper Flagg following Lakers-Mavericks Summer League clash

Lakers guard Bronny James matched up with Cooper Flagg on his Summer League debut on Thursday. The 6-foot-1 guard had to guard Flagg in the post, and the Lakers did a good job on the No. 1 pick, holding him to 5-for-21 shooting.

However, despite his inefficient night, James gave Flagg his flowers after the game. He explained that it was difficult to guard the Mavericks forward due to his height before complimenting his talent.

“Just trying to hold my ground. He’s got like half a foot on me,” James said. “He’s great, I watched him all the time in college, he’s an amazing player. … he’s going to be something special.”

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Surely, this is the first of many matchups we will get to see between Bronny James and the Mavericks' star rookie.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Bhargav