Cooper Flagg shows why he was No. 1 overall pick in Summer League

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32). Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg shows why he was No. 1 overall pick in second Summer League game

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 7:01 PM ET

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg responded to an underwhelming Summer League debut by showing his all-around game in a 76-69 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

The No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft led all scorers with 31 points, which ESPN noted was the most by a first overall pick in Summer League since 2017, and added four rebounds, an assist and a block.

After a dismal 5-of-21 shooting performance on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers, Flagg was much sharper against the Spurs, finishing 10-of-21, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Dylan Harper comes through with the smooth finish, and Cooper Flagg responds with a three-ball. pic.twitter.com/8rWjhOrIbE
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) July 12, 2025

Flagg was much more aggressive attacking the basket, leading to 13 free throw attempts and several advantageous looks near the rim.

These are the drives you'll take if you're Dallas. Quicker decision, two dribbles and up. pic.twitter.com/lJ6ppguoYk
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) July 12, 2025

At the end of the third quarter, Flagg threw down an emphatic dunk on a drive down the middle of the lane and immediately followed it by extending for a block on Spurs forward Riley Minix's three-point attempt at the buzzer.

Cooper Flagg throws it down and then recovers to get the buzzer beating block. pic.twitter.com/m6ylIoM2NW
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) July 12, 2025

It only took two games for Flagg to show the Summer League audience why he was so highly touted out of college. On a talented Mavericks roster that includes Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and, when healthy, Kyrie Irving, Flagg might not have much of a learning curve during the regular season, either.

In his lone season with the Duke Blue Devils in 2024-25, Flagg led the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game. He won't be responsible for taking on nearly as much of the load with the Mavs, at least early on. But if he's as quick a learner during the regular season as in Summer League, Flagg might be able to handle whatever the league throws at him.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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