Cooper Flagg's 'Incredible' Poise in NBA Summer League Debut Praised By Mavs HC Kidd

Dallas Mavericks head coach and former 19-year NBA veteran Jason Kidd praised 18-year-old Cooper Flagg's "incredible" poise in his 2025 NBA Summer League debut.

"His poise as an 18-year-old is incredible," Kidd said.

Flagg posted 10 points, three rebounds and two steals in the first half of the Mavericks' matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 18-year-old No. 1 overall pick has already impressed his new head coach, now entering his fifth year in Dallas, after just one half of Summer League play on Thursday.

After Flagg scored his first points in a Mavs jersey — a steal that led to a full-court dunk while Kidd watched from the baseline — the coach didn’t hold back his excitement about the young star.

"I had a great seat. I got excited to see No. 32 get an easy one — and it was with a dunk," Kidd said. "Again, he's shown that he can handle the press. I think the Lakers sent a double team on the first play of the game. I think that shows a certain level of respect."

The Lakers did, in fact, double-team him out of the gate — something he handled with clear poise despite the surprise.

As Flagg demonstrated on Thursday, despite standing 6-foot-9, he’s capable of playing point guard — and is a threat at that position given his size. It’s a skill set Kidd said he plans to utilize, especially with Kyrie Irving expected to remain sidelined at the start of the season.