Cooper Flagg suffers nightmare NBA debut as the Dallas Mavericks fall to blowout loss against San Antonio

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg endured a nightmare start to his NBA career on Wednesday night. 

Flagg - the No.1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft - stepped on the court for his first competitive fixture as a Maverick as they took on the San Antonio Spurs. 

During the Summer League, Flagg had produced an impressive display against the Spurs however, on Wednesday night, that performance felt like a distant memory.

Named as the Mavericks' starting point guard, Flagg failed to record a single point or assist during the entire first half. He attempted just two field goals in that time. 

While some fans suggested that the Mavericks' system was letting Flagg down, others quickly rushed to social media to poke fun at the Dallas star's struggles.

Taking to X, one wrote: 'I only turned this game on watch demon Cooper Flagg and he got all zeroes on the statline'.

'Flagg with the 0 points on HT, funny Spurs scored 60. He was doing cardio and hiding from ball so far,' another said.  

'I think Cooper Flagg only attempting two shots in the first half is worse than him actually having 0 points. He doesn’t seem to want the ball at all. When he did drive, Wemby has been there to deter him'.

Meanwhile, during the half-time interval, 'Inside the NBA's analysts delved further into Flagg's first-half issues. 

Charles Barkley said: 'They didn't even put Cooper Flagg in a position to be successful. 

'He's not a point guard. He's never been a point guard in his life. He's passing the ball to dudes that ain't as good as him. He should not be playing the point'.

Despite his nightmare start to the game, things did eventually improve for Flagg. 

After the break, the 18-year-old found his rhythm and went 4-for-11 from his field goal attempts in the third quarter. He eventually finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and no assists.

However, it still wasn't enough to prevent a blowout 125-92 victory for the Spurs.

His performance marked a stark contrast from Flagg's display against the Spurs during the Summer League, where he scored 31 points. 

Flagg became the first white American to be taken first-overall in the NBA draft in 48 years after being selected by the Mavericks last month.

It was hardly shocking that the Mavericks made this move after Flagg's impressive college displays saw him named National Player of the Year.

Flagg, a native of Newport, Maine, was regarded as one of the clearest-cut first-overall pick since Victor Wembanyama and the most obvious American first-overall pick since fellow Duke star Zion Williamson in 2019.

Elsewhere on the night, Wembanyama put in a stunning performance for the Spurs as he carried them to victory in Dallas. 

Meanwhile, across the country, OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson helped lead the New York Knicks to a 119-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who had a 17-point lead in the first half, fell behind after Donovan Mitchell led a comeback, then regained the lead for good with a 14-0 run early in the fourth quarter.