Cooper Flagg is one of the most promising prospects in a long time. The 18-year-old has been hyped up as the next big superstar in the NBA, and the Dallas Mavericks are pinning their hopes and future on him.
But at the same time, he’s joined a budding team full of talent and expectations. Playing in the preseason, he’s tried to adjust to the level upgrade. Against the Lakers on Wednesday, Flagg played 28 minutes, putting up 13 points, two rebounds, and three assists.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick was asked about his potential on the court and possible comparisons to other players, but he shut it down quickly.
“He doesn’t really remind me of anybody. I know the Grant Hill comparisons are getting thrown out a lot right now. Cooper is his own special player. His defensive instincts and playmaking ability far exceed most 18-year-olds. He’s a worker. And I expect him to develop into a really good shooter. Those are the two things that just stand out right away. He has such a feel for the game… His defensive skills and playmaking really stand out.” Redick said.
Flagg has often been compared to former Pistons small forward Grant Hill because of their similar size, length, and how both of them were extremely versatile in their defensive versatility. Hill could guard any position and play both on and off the ball. Flagg, too, has defended at almost every position, and his long frame allows him to be a major factor in rim protection as well.
Hill had a knack for playmaking and creating offense for his teammates, something we’ve seen Flagg do consistently. This has been fairly indicated by the assists column on his stat sheet throughout college. He’s also shown point-forward-like tendencies and can take over the ball handling if required. And the Mavericks are in a unique position with a solid roster and an exciting young prospect to fuel their championship aspirations. Their most recent opponents, the Lakers, too, had championship hopes, but the way things are going in the preseason, it looks like they have a long road ahead.
Overall, the Lakers are struggling in the preseason. Their prime priority was to find the right mix of combinations and rotational players. But the preseason has seen them having a meltdown after meltdown and an inability to keep the offense, or even the defense, consistent throughout the game. Currently standing at a one and four win-loss record, they got crushed by the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter, where the Mavs beat them 37-8 in the last quarter, and the game ended at 121-94.
JJ Redick Addresses Jarred Vanderbilt’s Injury
One of the key turnaround moments in the game for the Lakers was Jarred Vanderbilt’s injury. He was on his way to having a good outing on the court against the Dallas Mavericks. It was just a preseason game, but the Lakers forward found himself ruled out for the entirety of the second half due to a left quad contusion.
“I believe he took a knee to the quad… He can be a really impactful guy on both ends. You can see, he’s moving better than he was last season. You can clearly tell he’s spent a lot of time working on his game this summer. He’s spent a lot of time with AJ Diggs. One of my coaches in New Orleans.” The Lakers’ head coach noted.
Redick did not look too worried about the injury and instead spoke more about how Vanderbilt’s role has been evolving within the team.
“I put him in a tough spot last year, by necessity of playing him at the five, and having him be able to guard multiple positions on the perimeter, be a crasher, and hopefully a high-level corner spacer, and a cutter. And I like him as a playmaker. He can make the right read, and I thought he did a good job tonight,” Redick added.
After the first half, it was reported that the 26-year-old had been ruled out for the last two quarters. Before being injured, he put up five points, seven rebounds, and four assists. In just thirteen minutes of playing time, he even got in a block.
Up until now, he’s played three games in the preseason for the Lakers, and he’s averaged 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. So he really needs that one game where he breaks out and cements his position.
Outside of Gabe Vincent’s stellar 22-point first half was the only highlight for Los Angeles. They faced injuries along with the humiliation of the loss to a franchise that is also in the same developmental stage as them. With the gold and purple looking to revamp their bench and find solid supporting players for Luka Doncic and LeBron James, it was the ideal time for Vanderbilt to have a breakthrough performance and take an edge over other players in the rotation.
But after he accidentally got kneed in the thigh by Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II towards the end of the first half, it was visible that he was in pain and not able to use his full movement. Vanderbilt is not the only one sidelined or minimized by injuries. The Lakers have a long list of players out, including LeBron James, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, and Maxi Kleber. It is evident that JJ Redick now has a long journey ahead of him as he tries to bring a ring to this storied franchise.
