Oct 26, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Mavericks' 2011 NBA Champion impressed with one specific aspect of Cooper Flagg

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 12:30 PM ET

It hasn't been a dream start to Cooper Flagg's NBA career. The Dallas Mavericks are 2-4, sitting with the worst offensive rating in the NBA, and a lot of that is due to Cooper Flagg playing point guard for the first time in his life. And since he's just 18 years old, it's taking some time to get used to.

However, plenty of people are still confident that Cooper Flagg will be able to adjust to his new position. One of those is former Maverick Shawn Marion, a key cog of the team that won the championship in 2011. He was at the game in Mexico City on Saturday, and came away impressed with Flagg's passing when asked what impresses him most about the rookie.

"︀︀“His passing. He’s been put in a position to be more of a facilitator," Marion started. "It’s gonna be some bad days. There’s gonna be growing pains. But you know what? You gotta fail in order to grow and gain and get better.”

Asked Shawn Marion what stood out most about Cooper Flagg’s game:

“His passing. He’s been put in a position to be more of a facilitator…It’s gonna be some bad days. There’s gonna be growing pains. But you know what? You gotta fail in order to grow and gain — and get better.” pic.twitter.com/HqgjSJqBYY
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) November 2, 2025

Flagg is going to keep playing point guard until Kyrie Irving returns, more than likely. The team's current options at point guard are D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Williams, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum, who has yet to play a game due to a mysterious knee injury that we haven't gotten much clarification on. Russell and Williams have each had their moments, but Jason Kidd wants to have the best five players on the floor at all times.

Unfortunately, that has led to some sloppy offensive possessions, which is why they're dead last in offensive rating. The fourth quarter of Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons saw the Mavs turn it over 7 times, plus a block at the rim on an attempted dunk by Caleb Martin, which opened up a big run for the Pistons to close the game.

Jason Kidd Will Keep Playing Cooper Flagg at Point Guard

Kidd talked about Flagg still playing point guard after Saturday's game, and it seems like as long as Kyrie Irving is out, Flagg will still be playing a lot of point guard.

“There’s a couple of things behind him playing point guard," Kidd explained. "One is our health. Coming out of training camp, we had a lot of injuries... The other part of handling the ball is being able to handle the pressure when April comes around and you’re playing for something greater. Just to have that experience early on is a blessing, and it'll only help him in this marathon."

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

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