Is Cooper Flagg's shoulder injury more serious than Mavericks are letting on?

Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg seems to be playing through a left shoulder injury, It initially happened in the opening minutes of the game against the OKC Thunder, a game in which he really struggled, having just 2 points and 2 rebounds.

Then, on Monday night against the Houston Rockets, he went down again and was grabbing his left shoulder. He ended up staying in the game, but he was a lot more passive after he went down. He had a pretty good first quarter, having 9 points and 3 rebounds, However, for the rest of the game, he had just 3 points and 2 rebounds.

After the game, Jason Kidd even commended his toughness, saying, "He's a tough kid, He's fighting with this shoulder injury, but he comes out, he's ready to play, so it just shows his toughness and he's about winning."

Mavericks HC Jason Kidd praised Cooper Flagg’s toughness last night as he continues to play through a shoulder injury…

My question now is, how significant is this shoulder injury that Flagg is dealing with? #MFFL pic.twitter.com/jETjDVzUuy
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) November 4, 2025

So, is there more going on with Flagg's shoulder than they're letting be known?

Flagg hasn't appeared on any injury reports yet, even after getting some imaging done last week after the OKC game. If there was anything that flared up on the imaging, they haven't let it be known yet. And even if there is, they may be trying to hide it since it's on his non-shooting shoulder.

However, it's not exactly like this training staff is in the clear. The Mavericks' medical team was under heavy scrutiny last season for letting people like Anthony Davis and P.J. Washington return from injury too early, and they were close to doing the same with Dereck Lively II, who was initially diagnosed with an ankle sprain and was ramping up to play before they discovered a stress fracture in his foot, costing him nearly three months.

Oct 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Injuries Stacking Up For Dallas Mavericks

Just seven games into the season and the injuries are already starting to mount. Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum have yet to play due to different knee injuries, Anthony Davis is dealing with a low grade calf strain (he's supposed to be re-evaluated soon), and Dereck Lively II is dealing with a knee sprain with no timetable for his return.

Meanwhile, Daniel Gafford is pushing through an ankle injury, Cooper Flagg is pushing through this shoulder issue, and D'Angelo Russell popped up on the injury report over the weekend with a knee issue. Injuries have been a theme for this team dating back to last season, and it doesn't seem like anything has changed.

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