Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving's injury is 'helpful' for Cooper Flagg, NBA personality argues

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 7:01 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks may not be as competitive early on in the season as Kyrie Irving recovers from ACL surgery, but Dave Jacoby of The Ringer said on "The Mismatch" podcast that it could turn into a great thing, specifically for Cooper Flagg's development.

"Kyrie getting injured is a terrible, terrible, awful thing for all basketball fans, but for the development of Cooper Flagg, I think it actually is helpful," Jacoby said. "With a healthy Kyrie, you’re looking at, ‘listen, we’re in the West, we got to contend, we got to win games.'

"But they’re going to give him a little bit of rope to have the ball, to be a lead ball handler. I think Kyrie being injured is obviously awful, but the silver lining on that dark cloud is that it gives Flagg a little bit of opportunity to sort of just find his way in the NBA offense,"

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has already said that they expect Cooper Flagg to have the ball in his hands a lot this season while Irving misses time. They signed D'Angelo Russell to be a stop gap, but if he plays anything like he did last season, that isn't going to be good enough for a team looking to contend.

Flagg may not be good enough right now to drag the team with wins, but this is a roster in dire need of playmakers. Kidd has compared him to Grant Hill, another point forward with size, but Flagg may not be as natural of a primary playmaker from day one. The Mavericks putting the ball in his hands, like they did in the Summer League, will be key for his development.

The Mavericks are having to walk a fine line of prioritizing his development while still remaining competitive until Irving returns. They believe they're a championship contender, and while there are reasons to doubt that, they'll have a chance to prove it. They'll need to be at least around a .500 team until Irving is back to make the playoffs.

Cooper Flagg's Summer League Outlook

Flagg only played in two games of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. His first game against the Los Angeles Lakers was a shaky one, scoring just 10 points on 5/21 shooting, but he did display the defensive and playmaking instincts that made him such an intriguing prospect.

His second game was much better, scoring 31 points on 10/20 shooting. That kind of scoring outbreak should give them some optimism heading into the season that he could continue to do that once they move into the regular season.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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