Mavs Shutting Down Cooper Flagg after Stellar 31-Point Game Angers Fans: “Load Management in Summer League”

Dallas Mavericks' 1st overall pick, Cooper Flagg had a stellar 31-point performance against the Spurs in his last Summer League game.

Mavs Shutting Down Cooper Flagg after Stellar 31-Point Game Angers Fans: “Load Management in Summer League”

Mavs shut down Cooper Flagg for rest of Summer League (Image via FirstSportz)

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Entering his rookie season, all eyes are on the role the Dallas Mavericks assign Cooper Flagg as they look to build towards a title run. With Kyrie Irving out for much of the upcoming season, the Duke standout will need to step in as a playmaker.

His head coach, Jason Kidd, wants the 18-year-old to play more at point guard, knowing the position is there to be filled by either him or offseason signing D’Angelo Russell. In his first game in the Summer League, Flagg played some minutes in that position.

He admittedly did not have a good game after battling Bronny James for most of the night. However, there were some positives, especially when it became evident that the stage was not too big for him.

In their next game against the San Antonio Spurs, the teenager decided to have a better game, and exploded for 31 points. His shooting was a lot more efficient, and he was picking his spots, drawing fouls, and converting enough threes.

Even though the Mavs lost to the Spurs, the franchise’s top brass received enough proof that their No. 1 overall pick would not struggle early on. After that game, veteran NBA journalist, Marc Stein, received some news from his sources.

I have confirmed, this was Cooper Flagg’s last appearance in the Summer League. He is not scheduled to play Monday.

Marc Stein said on the DLLS Mavs podcast

This means, the 18-year-old will not play in any of the remaining Summer League games. The Mavericks might have made a conscious decision to shut him down. Him clogging minutes does not help their evaluation of other prospects.

Fans do not appreciate Mavs shutting down Cooper Flagg

Then there is the risk of injury. Basketball fans understand the Dallas Mavericks had one of the worst situations, injury-wise last season. However, they also cannot understand why the team would shut Cooper Flagg completely.

They believe he should continue to play at least 5-10 minutes a game. That way, he will experience what it is like to play against older, bigger, and stronger players than he did in college. Moreover, this decision could impact fan attendances in the Summer League.

The Maine native is still front and center of the league’s Summer League posters. Fans believe this decision is robbing viewers of the chance to see the young player break ground in his yet-to-start NBA career. Check out examples of those reactions below.

Cooper Flagg might move into the offseason to focus on handling his debut in the NBA come October. For that, the teenager might look towards building muscle and working out with 1st team players. However, fans believe there is still time for that. Therefore, there was no need to shut him down this early.

Mavs taking it cautiously with Cooper Flagg

Admittedly, the Dallas Mavericks have a plan for Cooper Flagg. After their disastrous run with injuries last season, they might have been a bit too cautious, trying to avoid anything happening to their next franchise cornerstone.

Cooper Flagg vs Bronny James was a crowd puller
Cooper Flagg vs Bronny James was a crowd puller (Image via Sporting News/X)

The team fired their top medical staff as well as their top trainer last season. Since the new team is dipping their toes, it would be wise not to give them additional work this early in the year. They are already working with the first team to ensure they start the season healthy.

Moreover, it also seems as if the Mavs do not want to burn their No. 1 overall pick early. He played his last game on April 5th. Which means they would rather him rest this offseason and start his weight training and workouts later.

At the same time, the Mavs do not want to rush Flagg’s developmental curve. They might be ready to fight for a title this year, but they need their future superstar to be able to fight for titles for as long as possible.

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