Is it already time to abandon the Cooper Flagg point guard experiment?

Jason Kidd, one of the greatest floor generals in NBA history, sees a natural point guard in Cooper Flagg, even though the 18-year-old didn't play the position at either the high school or college level.

Kidd started Flagg at PG in the Dallas Mavericks' season-opener on Tuesday, a decision that drew widespread criticism. 

Cooper Flagg starts NBA career as PG

The "Inside the NBA" on ESPN panel felt Flagg, who finished with zero assists, was being placed in a compromising position and urged Kidd to start D'Angelo Russell at PG.

"I would rather have Flagg be the recipient of the basketball, cutting to the basket and offensive rebounding," Kenny Smith said. 

The Mavs started the preseason with Russell at PG, with P.J. Washington coming off the bench. That changed by the third game when Flagg slipped into a role he also played in the Summer League.

Shaquille O'Neal felt Kidd had earned the right to experiment with Flagg, but echoed Smith's views about the PG role.

"You don't wanna put a lot of pressure on the kid," Shaq said. 

Stopgap solution till Kyrie Irving's return 

Kidd began exploring the idea of Flagg as a PG in the offseason, knowing well that Kyrie Irving, sidelined with an ACL tear, was out for the foreseeable future. Charles Barkley, though, reckons it would be a disastrous call to keep Flagg at PG until Irving's return.

"Start D'Angelo Russell till Kyrie Irving comes back," Barkley said. "These guys always want to try and reinvent the wheel. Man, it's basketball. You push it, then you run your offense in the half court. I don't know what they're doing. They didn't even put Cooper Flagg in a position to be successful."

To Barkley's point, there were several instances when Flagg ran into a sea of Spurs defenders, without a proper play being called for him. He also did not come off too many ball screens, giving his matchups no need to hedge or switch on defense.

Flagg has previously stated that he considers himself a basketball player and that the position on the floor is irrelevant. In today's positionless basketball era, his philosophy is apt. No other Mavericks starter, including Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, is a natural ball-handler, creating the need for a floor general.  But it's hard to be encouraged by the initial results of Kidd's experiement.

Flagg finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds while committing three turnovers. In addition, the Mavs scored just 92 points in the 33-point loss, the fewest of any NBA team in action Wednesday night. They were the only team not to reach the 100-point mark.

Kidd may have no option but to end his experiment early.