Cooper Flagg's night as a passer has drawn praise from his head coach. In Sunday's 130-93 win over the Brooklyn Nets, the reigning Rookie of the Year scored 25 points and set a career high with 12 assists, according to TalkBasket.
Dusty May framed the performance around decision-making rather than volume. He said Flagg can play over the top of a defence, and that his court vision and unselfishness make him a consistent playmaking threat. May said those traits were behind the many games like this one that he expects from Flagg.
May also pointed to practice as the reason Dallas attacked early in the season so efficiently. He said Brooklyn plays a defensive system almost identical to Dallas's, and that the Mavericks had seen it every day in training. In his view, that familiarity made them better equipped to attack the Nets than they would have been against a scheme they had not drilled.
Flagg's scoring came quickly, with 14 points in the first quarter. He finished 8-of-13 from the field, made three three-pointers and added five rebounds. He committed three turnovers in 28 minutes.
The report gives no injury or lineup detail, so the evidence supports one game and one coach's explanation. What it does show is a player whose assists came alongside efficient scoring in a limited role, with the playmaking carrying much of the weight.
