The Mavericks' Cooper Flagg showcased his true point-guard potential in his impressive NBA preseason debut.

 The Mavericks' Cooper Flagg showcased his true point-guard potential in his impressive NBA preseason debut.

Before Cooper Flagg's preseason debut with the Mavericks on Monday night, NBA reporter Marc Spears went on ESPN and questioned why Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, wasn't getting as much buzz.

Image nytimes

"Where's the Cooper Flagg train?" Spears said. "I don't understand. NBA, what are you doing? Why aren't you promoting this guy? Get on the train. This guy is going to be a star. ... Nobody is talking about this guy, and they're making a mistake."

I completely disagree with Spears. From late July to October, the NBA has a dead zone. Nobody's really talking about him. His Summer League games were appointment television. As soon as Flagg starts playing regular season games, he'll start getting plenty of broadcast time.

Especially after his performance in his first pre-season game.

In 14 minutes of first-half action, Flagg scored 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting, six rebounds, three assists, and a block. He made two of his three 3-pointers and didn't commit a single turnover despite serving as Dallas' point guard.

Flagg was on the court for barely a minute, and his first memorable moment came when he sprinted forward for a weak-side block, initiating a Dallas fast break that Anthony Davis completed with an alley-oop slam (note that Flagg sprinted into his lane after the block to prevent the defense from trying to stop Davis on the other side).

Flagg's defense will soon, if not immediately, become excellent. He can move his feet effectively and effectively as a shot blocker. He can guard across almost the entire positional spectrum. His instincts are incredible. But we knew this from the start. It's no surprise. He could potentially be a Draymond-Green-level defender.

I want to get back to the point guard thing. Flagg is listed at 6 feet 8 inches, but he plays much taller than that, and it looks like you could run an NBA offense through him with his ability to handle the ball, make advanced reads and passes, and score from all three levels.

This guy is 18 years old, and look at how easily he absorbs full-court pressure from Cason Wallace (a strong on-ball defender) as he settles into a post position, takes help, and delivers a pass to Dwight Powell like he's done a thousand times at this level.

Here he is again absorbing pressure from Wallace, and then, when another defender arrives, with several players overtaking him in the middle/irregular space, Flagg calmly breaks and lets the opportunity develop -- leading, in this case, to a back-cut layup for P.J. Washington.

Here he is quickly moving the ball before attacking the closeout, drawing the defense up again, and handing the ball off to Derek Lively for the finish.

These are all high-level reads and plays for any player, let alone a teenager playing in his first NBA game. But it wasn't just that Flagg was throwing highlight dimes. He analyzed the defense perfectly all night. At one point, he threw a pass to a middle flasher to break down OKC's zone defense, followed immediately by a swinging 3 from Klay Thompson in the corner. He was in complete control. He was watching everything. Nothing was moving too fast.

If passing wasn't enough, Flagg also showcased his ability to punish you as a pull-up shooter, a crucial skill to become a true threat as a pick-and-roll pilot. Here, he goes into a ball screen, provokes a switch to shift the matchup in his favor, and rises above the smaller defender.

Here, he does the same on the opposite wing, forcing Jaylin Williams to retreat into coverage for fear of Davis rolling into the paint.

With Flagg's ball-handling and ability to make quick, advanced reads, Dallas can leverage big-time actions like this. This will prove to be a weapon from day one, especially if Flagg is able to consistently make three-pointers, which will completely open up his game and Dallas' entire offense.

So yes, everyone knows it was only 14 minutes of a preseason game and we shouldn't be partying. But listen, what Flagg did on Monday was truly astonishing. If Spears is right and the NBA doesn't yet know what it takes to be the future face of the league, that situation will soon change.