Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd’s Plans for Cooper Flag
Jason Kidd, the head coach of the Mavericks, has already envisioned a strategy to challenge rookie Cooper Flag.
While Kidd recognizes the impressive skill set associated with a first overall pick, he emphasized on Friday that the upcoming NBA Summer League will serve as a platform for Flag to broaden his abilities in a rather unconventional role.
“I haven’t really seen that position before,” Kidd remarked. “I want to try him at point guard. It’s about making him uncomfortable and observing how he handles running the team.”
The 6-foot-8 forward boasts a versatile skill set, but stepping in as a primary point guard is definitely an innovative approach for the former Duke player.
This experiment may not carry over significantly into the regular season, especially with Kyrie Irving making his return from an ACL injury, but Kidd is eager to gauge Flag’s reactions.
“I want to push him to his limits,” Kidd continued. “I think he’ll respond well. It’s fine to make mistakes or commit turnovers. We’ve discussed that.”
Mark Cuban, the owner of the Mavericks, seems to align with Kidd’s philosophy.
Cuban expressed enthusiasm about the potential lineup featuring Flag at point guard, along with a few star players, saying, “I’ve been texting J-Kidd, pushing for the point guard position. Imagine a team with Cooper Flag, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Anthony Davis, and maybe Dereck Lively or Daniel Gafford. We could have one of the biggest teams in the NBA.”
With experienced players throughout the Mavericks roster, Flag anticipates a manageable workload in the regular season compared to the hefty demands usually expected of first-round picks.
Notably, there may not be a more suitable coach in the NBA than Kidd to mentor Flag in developing point guard skills, given Kidd’s legacy as one of the greatest pure point guards in history.
Kidd, who previously coached the Bucks, mentioned that he employed similar strategies while working with Giannis Antetokounmpo during his time there.
