Cooper Flagg matches Kobe Bryant feat as a teenager

Cooper Flagg improving with each game

Flagg, entrusted with the role of starting point guard, played off the ball a lot more on Sunday, thanks to an adjustment from Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. The Duke alum wasn't burdened with the task of handling the rock, as the Mavericks had guards D'Angelo Russell (24 points, six assists) or Max Christie (17 points, two assists) on the floor for extended periods — especially in the business end of the game. 

The change of strategy appeared to work wonders for Flagg, who had a total of six assists and eight turnovers in his first two games, as he struggled to run the offense and routinely dribbled the ball into traffic. On Sunday, he was allowed to play his natural role of a slasher and cutter, and the results were immediately visible. 

After Sunday's win, Kidd acknowledged that Flagg was still a work in progress.

"You have to live with the mistakes," Kidd said of Flagg, via Noah Weber. "There's no perfect player, no perfect game. As much as we'll be critiqued on that, we don't really care, because we've got to be able to go through the fire to be a champion. You're not born a champion, you've got to earn it."

Flagg is averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists through his first three games. The Mavs (1-2) will next play the Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0), the reigning NBA champions, on Monday night. The contest will be a huge litmus test for the 18-year-old Flagg.