Pair of former NBA players question Cooper Flagg point guard experiment

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, one of the greatest floor generals ever, recognizes a point guard when he sees one, and he expects rookie Cooper Flagg to develop into that role.

Even before his Summer League debut in July, Kidd said he planned to make the Duke alum "uncomfortable" by playing him at point guard, a position Flagg did not play in high school or college.

Flagg started at PG for the Mavericks during the final two preseason games, including Wednesday's 121-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. He finished with 13 points, three assists and two rebounds in 28 minutes, while providing his usual energy on the defensive end.

Jason Kidd has a vision for Cooper Flagg 

After the preseason finale, Kidd hinted that Flagg would continue to start at PG during the team's regular-season opener against the San Antonio Spurs, but said the role would be fulfilled "by committee." 

"I think [Flagg] has done an incredible job of handling the situation of running the team," he said of the 18-year-old. "And the other thing that I think that is going unnoticed is that his teammates enjoy him running the team. That doesn't happen in this league, so I think that's a plus."

Kidd even went as far as to joke that Kyrie Irving may have to play small forward once he returns from injury, as he expects Flagg to establish himself as the primary initiator of the offense. 

"We have multiple guys [who can play PG] until Kai comes back, but with Cooper Flagg playing point, I think Kai wants to play small forward now," he told "The Association" podcast. 

John Wall worries about Cooper Flagg as PG

A pair of retired players, Rudy Gay and John Wall, believe that Flagg at PG is a stopgap arrangement, not a wise long-term move.

"Do I see him as a point guard in the future? No," Gay told The Association. "But even Kai is not a pass-first point guard, so it's going to be by committee whether Kyrie is there or not."

Wall feels the 6-foot-9 rookie could wear out from handling the ball for stretches.

"If he's going to bring the ball up full court, somebody is going to pick him up 94 feet, not allowing him to be comfortable," Wall said of Flagg. "So,  I think it was a good experiment [in the preseason], but they don't have a true point." 

The Mavericks initially started D'Angelo Russell at PG in the first two preseason games but then moved P.J. Washington into the starting lineup in the last two outings with Flagg running point. The decision to start Washington gave the Mavericks a lineup of five players standing at over 6-foot-5, with Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively, Anthony Davis and Flagg. Many believe the super-tall lineup could pose significant problems for certain matchups in the West.