The Mavericks didn’t just knock off the Thunder on Friday night - they did it while Cooper Flagg kept expanding the reach of his game.
Dallas blew past Oklahoma City in a 24-point win, handing the NBA’s best team over the past three years its first loss of the season. Flagg led the way with 26 points, but the number that should have really caught the eye was his assist total: eight, with zero turnovers. After coughing it up five times against the Miami Heat, that kind of clean, controlled production stood out.
The 19-year-old wing has now posted back-to-back outings with 11 assists and eight assists, and the Thunder game was the more impressive of the two. The box score tells part of the story. The bigger takeaway is that Flagg’s growth as a playmaker is changing what Dallas can be on offense.
That matters because the Mavericks came into the season thin on creators. Kyrie Irving was the only player on the roster who had averaged more than 4.5 assists per game, and the rest of the group offered very little in the way of natural setup work.
Dallas added Marcus Sasser from the Detroit Pistons, drafted Sergio De Larrea with the 25th pick, and signed former first-rounder Walter Clayton Jr. to a two-way contract days before the regular season. Still, this was largely the same low-pass, low-creation team.
That left a heavy burden on Flagg, who is also carrying a major scoring load as a 19-year-old. Nobody necessarily expected him to lead the club in assists. Yet here he is, averaging 6.8 per game, and the growth is obvious.
What makes it jump off the screen isn’t flashy passing for its own sake. Flagg isn’t living off jaw-dropping dimes or trying to slice defenses apart with tricky handle work. He’s simply making the correct read, staying patient, and making defenders move first.
A lot of his best helpers came through the basic stuff done well: swing passes to open shooters, or feeds that took advantage of mismatches in the post. That patience has become part of the package, and it shows in the way he handles the ball.
Even in transition, the game doesn’t seem to speed him up. For a 19-year-old forward, that’s a big deal. He’s starting to show the jumbo-playmaker traits that have become so valuable across the league.
One of the clearest examples came in the fourth quarter. After grabbing a rebound on a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander miss, Flagg brought the ball up with no hint of panic. He worked his way into the lane, pulled all five Thunder defenders toward his drive, and then fired a no-look pass to Caleb Martin in the opposite corner for an open 3-pointer.
He gave Dallas more of the same on assists to Morez Johnson Jr. and Daniel Gafford. In both cases, he turned the corner, got into the paint, and floated the ball over the help defender instead of settling for a difficult shot. Johnson finished with an easy layup, and Gafford hammered home a one-handed jam.
Those are the kinds of plays that widen an offense. By slowing down, cutting down the turnovers, and letting the defense reveal itself, Flagg is making Dallas harder to guard.
Playmaking is no longer just a nice add-on to his downhill game. It’s becoming one of its main functions, and that has lifted the Mavericks’ offensive ceiling.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irving Just Got The Kind Of Praise Mavericks Fans Love
Kyrie Irving picked up a little extra shine from an unexpected source this week, and Mavericks fans will probably appreciate the company. Golden State rookie Yaxel Lendeborg spoke highly of Irving, praising the Dallas guards skill and making clear how difficult he is to contain, a notable compliment for a player who is still working back into form after the torn ACL he suffered in March 2025.
Irvings numbers this season suggest he is finding his rhythm again, as he continues to steady Dallas with 18.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. The timing of Lendeborgs praise is interesting, too, with the Warriors and Mavericks slated to see each other on Nov. 18 and the rookie likely focused on a different Dallas threat in Cooper Flagg, the clubs leading scorer this season. [Read more 🡒]
P.J. Washington Is Changing A Big Mavericks Debate Around Cooper Flagg
P.J. Washington has quickly become part of the answer to one of the bigger early-season Mavericks questions around Cooper Flagg, and not just because of the shooting. Through the opening stretch, Washington has given Dallas a steady blend of finishing, rebounding and defensive versatility, the kind of all-around production that makes lineups with Flagg and Kyrie Irving look far more natural than they did on paper.
What has changed the conversation most is how comfortably Washington is fitting into a role that once felt easy to overthink in Dallas. The early trade speculation around him has cooled as he keeps doing the little things that matter in a rotation built around star talent, and that is where the Mavericks are finding real value. Whether the outside shot holds or not, Washington has already shown enough to remain a significant part of the lineup picture. [Read more 🡒]
Mavs Finally Near A Frontcourt Boost They Desperately Need
The Mavericks are finally getting a little closer to adding a frontcourt piece they have been waiting on all fall. Santi Aldama has been recalled from a rehab stint with the Texas Legends, a notable step for a player who had knee surgery last season and then sat out the preseason and Dallas first five regular-season games after arriving in a summer trade.
Aldama is now preparing for his first appearance in a Mavericks uniform, with his next possible chance coming Friday against the Houston Rockets. Even with that help trending in the right direction, Dallas is still sorting through its frontcourt depth, and Dereck Lively II remains sidelined after foot surgery, leaving the team with one more important question to answer before the rotation feels settled. [Read more 🡒]