MACAO — Cooper Flagg said Thursday that Kyrie Irving’s gravity has already gotten him easier shots in practice, with the two in line to share the floor in a game for the first time at the NBA China Games.
Flagg won Rookie of the Year last season after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 70 games for the Dallas Mavericks. In April, he became the first teenager to score 50 points in an NBA game. Irving did not play at all, sitting out the full season after tearing his left ACL on March 3, 2025.
Dallas faces the Houston Rockets on Friday and again Sunday at The Venetian Arena. Mavericks coach Dusty May said Thursday that Irving will play in one of the two games, with the team still deciding which one.
Cooper Flagg Details Mavericks’ Plan For Live-Ball Catches
Flagg ran a large share of the Dallas offense as a rookie. Watching Irving slow a defense down has been one of the fun parts of camp for him, and the two have talked about a specific way to play off each other.
“It’s great. I think we have a lot of guys that can handle the ball. I think just with the way that we’re trying to play this year, we’ll look a lot different from last year,” Flagg said. “Helping each other out to make it easier on everybody. And getting me and Kai live-ball catches in the half-court, I think is something that we’ve talked a lot about and I think can look really good for us. So I’m really excited, though, to be able to share the court with Kai. He’s obviously a special, special player.”
Flagg Says Irving Creates ‘A Lot Of Easier Shots’
Irving, 34, is a nine-time All-Star. Before camp opened Sept. 26, he had never played a game with Flagg, and May had never coached him.
“I think just his pace, the way he’s able to slow down and really manipulate the defense and get to his spots,” Flagg explained. “It’s been really fun to watch and fun to play with as well. Just the gravity that he commands has gotten me a lot of easier shots as well. So it’s been fun.”
Dusty May Says Flagg, Irving Are Finding ‘Solutions’
May is coaching his first NBA game Friday after leading Michigan to the national championship last season. He has watched Irving and Flagg work through problems together in practice, and he has enjoyed coaching both of them.
“They’re both extremely talented, versatile players, so they’ve complemented each other well,” May said. “We’ve been very pleased with how they’ve looked together in practice. More importantly, the way they’ve interacted and the way they’ve tried to find solutions to problems. They’ve both been fun to coach, especially when they’ve been on the floor together.”
Max Christie Says Irving’s Return Has Lifted Mavericks
The roster around them has changed. Dallas went 26-56 last season, and Max Christie started 68 games without Irving available. Christie sees Irving’s return as a lift for the whole group.
“Kyrie’s been a great leader for us, and coming back and being on the floor for us has been huge,” Christie said. “It’s boosted our self-esteem as a team and as a team as well, so I’m looking forward to having him with us as well.”
Flagg is entering his second NBA season. The Mavericks open the regular season Oct. 21 at Houston.
