After the Dallas Mavericks experienced more woes against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 133-127 loss on Friday night, it was another experience for rookie Cooper Flagg to develop into a franchise player. As rumors around the Mavericks are swirling due to the recent firing of general manager Nico Harrison, Flagg would speak after the game about learning from star Kyrie Irving.
In the loss to the Clippers, Flagg would score 16 points on shooting eight of 13 from the field to go along with five rebounds, zero assists, and four turnovers. With his continued development, especially now as a point guard, he's been learning under Irving as the star continues to recover from a torn ACL, as Flagg said he's one of the “ultimate player-coaches,” according to Abby Jones.
“Yeah, I think he's just, he's like one of the ultimate player-coaches,” Flagg said. “He has so much knowledge about the game. I don't think there's been anybody that has seen the game like he sees it. So, almost just trying to pick his brain and figure out the way he sees it and just, you know, anything I can learn from him, I'm going to try to do that at a high level.”
Cooper Flagg shares his relationship with Kyrie Irving and speaks on their one-on-one’s during Mavericks practice.
He says Kyrie is the ultimate player coach. pic.twitter.com/dQ48plNcLH
— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) November 15, 2025
Cooper Flagg on the pressure of being the Mavericks' point guard
With the Mavericks running Flagg as the primary point guard on the team, which has led to immense speculation from the basketball world, there's no denying how huge a role that is for any rookie. Flagg would be honest after the game in explaining the “pressure” that comes with the responsibility, according to The Dallas Morning News.
“It’s a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility that comes with being a point guard,” Flagg said. “I don’t know if I was ready to handle that right off the bat. I tried my best, and that’s not to say I can’t go back to it and I can’t work on it and get better. I think it’s just worked out lately where it’s been better to have somebody else help and relieve pressure. It doesn’t mean I can’t bring it up and initiate offense.”
In 13 games, Flagg has averaged 15.2 points, 6.6 renounds, and 3.1 assists per game, while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from beyond the arc. Dallas is 3-10 as the team next faces the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
