How No. 1 Pick Cooper Flagg Fared in His Mavericks Debut

On Monday, the NBA’s top pick in Cooper Flagg made his official Mavericks debut, donning white and blue alongside Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively and more.

It was one of the more anticipated starts for a member of the 2025 NBA Draft class, as there wasn’t a team in the league that would’ve considered another prospect at No 1.

Cooper Flagg has arrived 🍿

Back-to-back buckets for the No. 1 pick's first career preseason points! pic.twitter.com/BLGGUttqX7
— NBA (@NBA) October 7, 2025

All in all, Flagg’s debut had its fair share of fireworks, despite him playing only the first half of the team’s game versus the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Flagg played just the first few minutes of the first frame, issuing a nasty weak-side block on one of the first plays of the game, with a few assists.

His scoring would heat up in the second quarter, where he exploded for seven points in three straight trips down. He drove past two Thunder defenders with a strong drive for his first preseason points, then ripped a triple and earned his way to the line.

Another pull-up 3-pointer would bring his total to 10 first-half points. He tacked on six rebounds, three assists and a block in his first half of NBA play.

In one half played, Flagg helped the Mavericks to a 66-40 lead over OKC. He didn’t face off against several of the faces that helped the Thunder to their first championship since relocation, but he still matched up against several talented defenders.

It was a promising first preseason game for the league's top pick. He more than looked the part, functioning as a major part of the Mavericks' offense and defense.

Point Cooper Flagg on display.

Looks really natural/poised when making decisions pic.twitter.com/k5T2mxTP5G
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 7, 2025

At 6-foot-9 with an infallible all-around game, Flagg is one of the more anticipated rookies in some time, save for Spurs' standout Victor Wembanyama. With his ability to score, defend, pass and more, he's been touted as a potentially generational pick.

Even more, Flagg enters a unique situation, with the Mavericks having cashed in on just a 1.8% chance to land Flagg at the NBA Draft Lottery. They should be ready to hit the ground running in the Western Conference, with a highly-talented frontcourt and others strewn throughout. If star guard Kyrie Irving is able to make his way back in 2026, Dallas could potentially vie for home-court in the West.

The Mavericks will face off against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, Oct. 11, where Flagg is likely to get more burn. They’ll then play against Utah on Monday and the Lakers next Wednesday before tipping off their regular season against San Antonio on Oct. 22.