Mavericks Shut Down 'Exhausted' Cooper Flagg at Summer League

The No. 1 overall draft pick struggled shooting the ball in his pro debut on Thursday night, a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 10 points on 5-21 shooting and going scoreless in the second half.

Saturday was a different story.

Flagg didn't impact the game as much defensively, but he scored nearly half of Dallas points on much more efficient percentages. In total, Flagg shot 10-21 from the field and knocked down three three-pointers after going 0-for-5 from deep in the opener.

The 6-9 prospect continued working on his point-forward skills by taking the ball up the floor and initiating the offense in transition. He looked much more comfortable attacking off the dribble in his second game, leading to an increase in free throw attempts, as well.

The decision to shut him down after two games is a result of his immense workload to this point in Summer League. He played over 30 minutes in both contests, with his intensity and hustle never wavering throughout.

Flagg spoke after the game about how the week has already taken a toll on him physically.

"I think I'm exhausted," Flagg said. "I'm not used to bringing the ball up like that, you know, every time I'm getting the ball full court and have somebody on my hip ... I'm definitely not used to that, but I think I did a solid job..."

His progress as a ball-handler will continue to be an important phase of his development, as head coach Jason Kidd has openly talked about utilizing as much of his offensive versatility and athleticism as possible ... but an even more important factor is his health.

In 63 minutes of court time over two games, Flagg averaged 20.5 points, 5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on 15-42 (35.7%) from the field.

Fans were underwhelmed after his debut, but Flagg showed off his generational talent in a big way in his second act.

And the Mavs took note. They'll now give Cooper his deserved rest and allow the other prospects to show off their stuff to fight for the team's last available two-way contract.

The Mavericks' next Summer League games will take place on July 14 and 16. Flagg's next expected game will come in Dallas' first preseason exhibition on Oct. 15 against the Lakers.