Still Waiting on HIM: Flagg Shows Flashes, But Not Fire

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the moment has come and gone.

Cooper Flagg — THE No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — finally stepped onto the floor for his NBA Summer League debut, and I’m here to tell you right now:

That debut didn’t live up to the hype.

Now listen, I’m not here to pile on an 18-year-old. I’m not in the business of tearing down teenagers trying to make their dreams come true.

But I am in the business of telling the truth. And the truth is: Cooper Flagg's first game in a Dallas Mavericks uniform was a little underwhelming.

Let’s start with the box score:10 points. 5-of-21 shooting. 0-for-5 from three.

And let’s be clear — those numbers?

That’s bricks at Home Depot, y’all.

Even Flagg himself admitted it was “the worst game of [his] life.”

And for it to happen on national TV, in the fourth most-watched NBA Summer League game of all time (shoutout to Bronny James and the Lakers for bringing the buzz), it wasn’t just a rough night — it was a missed opportunity.

But here’s the part that shocked me: there were bright spots.

Flagg's handle was better than than I expected. His poise under pressure? Solid. He made smart decisions with the ball in his hands and showed some nice flashes running the offense.

The kid has IQ. The kid has bounce. And defensively?

He’s already got tools that translate. He added six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block — so no, he didn’t disappear.

BUT — and this is a BIG BUT — I still stand on what I’ve said from the beginning:

Cooper Flagg is NOT going to be the best player on a championship team.

He can be a hell of a second option. He can be the glue guy. He can be the system player who fills in all the gaps.

But that dude?

That killer? 

I just don’t see it.

Not yet.

Maybe never.

And let’s be real — the comparisons to Larry Bird, LeBron James, and even Jayson Tatum?

Let’s pump the brakes.

Right now, Flagg looks a lot closer to an athletic Andrei Kirilenko than he does a generational franchise cornerstone.

I hope he proves me wrong. I want him to prove me wrong.

But Thursday night in Las Vegas didn’t scream “next face of the league.”

It screamed “work in progress.” 

And that’s OK.

He’s got time.

He’s got talent.

He’s got the spotlight.

Now we see what he does with it.