Cooper Flagg Praised by Lakers' JJ Redick, Mavs Star is 'His Own Special Player'

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick got his first look at Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg in Wednesday's preseason game, and he had some high praise for the youngster.

"He doesn't really remind me of anybody. … Cooper is his own special player," Redick told reporters after the Lakers' 121-94 loss. "I think his defensive instincts and playmaking ability far exceed most 18-year-olds."

Flagg produced 13 points, two rebounds and three assists in the win, which improved the Mavs to 3-1 in the preseason. Dallas will open the 2025-26 campaign on Wednesday against the rival San Antonio Spurs.

While Redick kept things positive about Flagg, the 18-year-old had some early rookie woes in the game when Lakers point guard Gabe Vincent drilled five three-pointers in the first quarter.

Flagg's versatility will be needed for a Mavs team that will be without star point guard Kyrie Irving for much of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL. Head coach Jason Kidd previously said he will use Flagg as the team's primary point guard at times throughout the year, and he admitted that the former Duke star will need some time to adjust to the role.

"He's got to keep an index of who got shots, what was the last shot, and that'll come with reps," Kidd said after Wednesday's game. "But I think [Flagg] has done an incredible job of handling the situation of running the team. And the other thing that I think that is going unnoticed is that his teammates enjoy him running the team."

Flagg will have every opportunity to develop into the star the Mavs expect him to be, and Redick's comments made it clear that the rest of the league is taking notice as well.