Jason Kidd spent much of his postgame press conference talking about Cooper Flagg, and the Mavericks coach did not hide his admiration after Dallas’ 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday night at American Airlines Center.
“He’s a rookie. He should be rookie of the year,” Kidd said. “It’s unbelievable. The country is not watching the same thing that we get to watch on a daily basis.”
Kidd said Flagg belongs in elite company after becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points. “He’s in rare air. He’s with the GOAT when you talk about MJ and what he did in his rookie year and as a teenager,” he said.
The Mavericks coach also emphasized the bigger picture around the 19-year-old forward. “Just to see what Cooper’s doing, just the excitement, the joy of playing the game, win or lose, his spirit is about winning,” Kidd said. “And right now we’re not, but as he just said in the locker room, we’re just going to be that much better come next season.”
Kidd said Flagg kept pushing through the game and reached another level after the late-game ejections that changed the tone of the fourth quarter. “I guess I got to get kicked out,” Kidd said. “Me and Naji got to get kicked out more.”
He was direct about the way the game was being officiated and how Dallas responded. “I’m trying to protect the players. I’m trying to protect Cooper,” Kidd said. “On that play, there was clearly a foul that no one saw.”
Kidd said the team was united around Flagg in the moment. “We are a family and we have to protect one another,” he said. “Understanding that that play, one that when you look at it, he got fouled twice, not just on the arm but then got pushed.”
The Dallas coach said the final technical came after he stayed on the floor too long while considering his options. “That I didn’t get off the floor in a timely manner,” Kidd said. “I was trying to use my challenge because Moe’s used his, and they gave it back to him and gave him a delay game.”
Even with the loss, Kidd said Flagg’s growth remains the clearest storyline. “He was super aggressive,” Kidd said. “He didn’t hesitate.”
Kidd finished by stressing the confidence Flagg brings every night. “There is no pressure,” he said. “He plays the game the right way. He loves the challenge.”
