The Dallas Mavericks’ latest finish in San Antonio left plenty to chew on, and former head coach Jason Kidd weighed in on the biggest question from the final possession: why the ball didn’t end up with Cooper Flagg.
Dallas erased a 19-point deficit in the third quarter, pushed ahead with six minutes left in the fourth, and still walked away with a one-point loss to the Spurs on Wednesday night. The ending came down to the kind of possession that gets replayed over and over. Victor Wembanyama split a pair of free throws with 24 seconds left to put San Antonio in front, and then new head coach Dusty May set up Kyrie Irving on the left wing against De’Aaron Fox.
There was some contact from Fox, though not enough to clearly draw a foul. Irving spun back as Flagg began to slide in from the corner, but the shot went a little long off the backboard. With no time left for a rebound, that was it.
Kidd addressed the sequence on ESPN and made clear that, in his view, the decision to put the ball in Irving’s hands was the right one.
“I think understanding you have Kyrie Irving, a future Hall of Famer, and as a coach, you want your best players to be able to be involved in. With this play, Kai touches it.
Understand Cooper’s in the corner. This is the play that Coach drew up.
Understand you live with Kai shooting this," Kidd started.
"Maybe he could have passed it to PJ, but here’s the deal. Victor’s in the paint waiting on him, and so just understanding for Cooper, he’s going to get involved. But understanding last night they went to Kai, and when they believed that Kai was going to make that shot.”
It was the first real game-winning situation since May took over, and the closing sequence showed how he wanted to handle it. Afterward, May said they probably held the ball a little too long, which killed any real chance at an offensive rebound. Still, Irving getting the final touch wasn’t a shock.
P.J. Washington was available at the top of the key and had a strong night, but once Irving turned to pass, Wembanyama was already in position to erase the space. The cleaner version of that play would have been Irving getting the shot off with 5-6 seconds left, giving someone like Flagg or Naji Marshall a chance to crash the glass.
Against Wembanyama, that’s the balancing act: get the ball to your closer, but try to keep the seven-foot-four problem as far from the rim as possible.
In Other News...
Cooper Flaggs Historic Start Just Got More Complicated
Cooper Flaggs first month in the NBA has already pushed him into rare company, and the early numbers are still striking for a 19-year-old trying to find his footing in Dallas. Entering the recent game against the San Antonio Spurs, he was averaging 25.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists, production that has helped him move into the conversation with some of the best teenage scorers the league has ever seen.
The recent scoring dip has made the climb a little more complicated, even as his place on the all-time list continues to grow. With 17 games left before he turns 20, Flagg still has time to add to that standing, but the next few weeks will say plenty about how high he can rise before this chapter closes. [Read more 🡒]
Cooper Flaggs Scoring Slump Is Becoming A Real Mavericks Concern
Cooper Flagg still found ways to impact the game in the Mavericks 112-111 loss to the Spurs, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Even so, the bigger takeaway was the same one that has followed him lately: the shot is not falling with the kind of consistency Dallas needs, and the rookies recent stretch has started to draw real attention inside the building.
Dusty May and Kyrie Irving both addressed Flaggs performance and the challenge he is working through, a sign that this is becoming more than a one-game issue. For a Mavericks team trying to steady itself in close games, Flaggs production matters, but so does the way he responds when the scoring comes harder than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Naji Marshall Just Showed Dallas An Offensive Option It Desperately Needed
Naji Marshall gave Dallas a much-needed glimpse of a different kind of offense in a tight game against the Spurs, turning in a 22-point night on efficient shooting while helping steady a comeback effort. His ability to score in a variety of ways stood out, especially in a setting where the Mavericks were searching for cleaner looks and more room to operate.
Marshalls value may be even greater if Dallas keeps leaning into smaller, more flexible lineups around him. With his pick-and-roll comfort and efficiency at the rim and in the mid-range, he looks like the kind of secondary creator who can make the offense less predictable, which is exactly the sort of option the Mavericks have been trying to uncover. [Read more 🡒]