Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd highlighted rookie Cooper Flagg’s impact after the team defeated the Brooklyn Nets 113-105 on Monday night.
“Yeah, he got us off to a great start. Being able to shoot the three and then given the scoring, I thought he was really good at the start of the game,” Kidd said of Jaden Hardy’s early contributions.
Kidd also celebrated Klay Thompson’s milestone, noting, “Reaching 2,800 is pretty cool. I think fifth all time is big time. Klay’s going to continue to keep climbing the charts there.”
Addressing Flagg’s performance under defensive pressure, Kidd praised his decision-making. “The double teams, I thought he made all the right decisions. The reads, he didn’t force anything. He trusted his teammates to make the plays,” Kidd said.
The coach also discussed Flagg’s continued growth as a shooter. “He’s never going to be afraid. He’s taking what the defense has given him. Coming back from a twisted ankle and playing at that level shows his toughness,” Kidd said.
On Flagg’s role as a young leader, Kidd emphasized his maturity. “When you ask anyone on the team, he always talks to everybody, gives a handshake, looks at you in the eye to see how you’re doing. That’s what leaders do. For a 19-year-old to understand that is special,” Kidd said.
Kidd pointed to Flagg’s two-way game, highlighting his defense and rebounding. “He competes on the defensive end. We’re asking him to get a couple more rebounds, but everything else he’s doing at a high level. He’s scoring, making the right plays, accepting the double team,” Kidd said.
The coach credited Naji Marshall for his timely scoring down the stretch. “He was big for us. The floater is his go-to. He tends not to miss those, and he was great tonight with that and also on the defensive end,” Kidd said.
Kidd also noted the importance of floor spacing with multiple shooters contributing. “When we can have two guys out there like Thompson and Christie, also Hardy and Kelly, it helps Cooper and the spacing for the others to get wide open shots,” Kidd said.
Dallas relied on balanced scoring, with Flagg finishing with 27 points and three steals, Marshall adding 22 points, and Thompson contributing 18 points with six 3-pointers.
The Mavericks built a 14-point second-half lead and managed the game effectively despite missing four starters, including Anthony Davis and P.J. Washington Jr.
Brooklyn was paced by Michael Porter Jr.’s 28 points, but the Nets fell to 11-26 and have now lost four straight games.
Dallas improves to 15-25 and will host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, while Brooklyn continues its road trip in New Orleans.
