Klay Thompson praises Cooper Flagg, alludes to struggles in first Mavericks practice

The Dallas Mavericks kicked off training camp in Vancouver on Tuesday as they get ready for the 202526 season. Expectations are high, even if Kyrie Irving is expected to miss some of the season as he recovers from ACL surgery, but a lot of that is due to incoming rookie and first overall pick Cooper Flagg.

Flagg enters the NBA as one of the most hyped American prospects in recent memory, and the 18-year-old is entering a unique situation for most first overall picks, as he won't have to worry about lifting a sinking franchise. There are other stars on the roster who will help him out like Anthony Davis, Irving, and Klay Thompson.

Thompson spoke after practice on Tuesday about Flagg's first training camp and is impressed with the young man, even if it seems like he struggled to make shots.

︀︀“Cooper did great. I’m most impressed he did not sit out one drill," Thompson said. "I don’t care how many shots he misses, how many mistakes he makes. The fact that he’s in there and he’s competing every single drill, that’s what impresses me.”

Klay Thompson on Cooper Flagg’s first practice:

“Cooper did great. I’m most impressed he did not sit out one drill. I don’t care how many shots he misses, how many mistakes he makes. The fact that he’s in there and he’s competing every single drill, that’s what impresses me.” pic.twitter.com/8rFIai9niW
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) September 30, 2025

This is only one practice, but people are always going to overreact to comments like this. Is Flagg going to struggle to adjust to the NBA? Is he really going to be an elite shot-maker, or is he just going to be someone who is good at a lot of things and not great at anything?

Everyone in and around the Mavericks has said how hard of a worker Flagg is, and that's what impresses the team. Flagg knows he's going to have the ball in his hands a lot due to Irving's injury, so that's something he and his trainer spent a lot of time working on after the Summer League.

Sep 29, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) poses for a photo during the Mavericks 2025 media day at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

History Points to Flagg Bouncing Back

This isn't the first time that Flagg had a bad first impression with the Mavericks. In his first NBA Summer League game, Flagg struggled to score against the Los Angeles Lakers, putting up just 10 points on 5/21 shooting. However, the playmaking chops were there, and he still made an impact on the game as a whole.

But he bounced back with a vengeance in the second game against the San Antonio Spurs, putting up 31 points on 10/20 shooting. He has a history of better performances after a disappointment, so it wouldn't be surprising at all if the buzz out of the second day of training camp is that he had a great day.

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