The Dallas Mavericks will be facing off against the Indiana Pacers in their next game, but there are few players who are dealing with injuries coming into the contest. One of them was Cooper Flagg, who had a shoulder issue after their last game against the Toronto Raptors. A day after the game, head coach Jason Kidd gave an update on Flagg, according to Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints.
“Kidd says Cooper Flagg’s shoulder is ‘sore' and Mavericks will know more tomorrow,” Mistretta wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Anthony Davis was also dealing with an injury and is listed on the injury report with bilateral achilles tendinopathy. The good news for Davis is that he's listed as probable, while Flagg isn't even on the injury report, which means they'll most likely be on the court.
Davis and Flagg have been key for the Mavericks so far this season and have carried the scoring load at times. For Flagg, he's been impressive so far, especially since he's playing point guard, which is not his true position. Nonetheless, the Mavericks believe in him and already have a standard for what they expect from him, according to ESPN's Tim McMahon.
“I was talking to a Mavs assistant,” MacMahon said. “And they basically said, ‘Hey, if Cooper ends up averaging like fourteen, seven, and six, and making plays defensively like he does, then that’s going to be a really, really good rookie season for a kid who doesn’t turn 19 until, I think it’s December.'
“The fact that he’s already a solid starter in the NBA at this age is remarkable. I just think like to expect him as a point guard, a position he’s never played, to consistently put up big numbers and drive winning, like that’s asking a whole lot.”
As for Davis, he's just doing what he has to do as the leader on the team, and making things happen on both sides of the floor. With Kyrie Irving sidelined, he's going to have to take most of the scoring load some nights, but with the talent around him, he'll have some help.
