moranelkarifnews : Rising stars shine in Las Vegas: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper make their mark

LAS VEGAS — The energy was electric at Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday afternoon as the top two attractions from the 2025 NBA Draft squared off: No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs. Each player flashed his potential, giving fans a highly entertaining matchup despite a low-scoring 76-69 Spurs win.

Cooper Flagg

Unwavering confidence sparks offensive performance

Flagg lived up to his No. 1 billing, scoring a team-high 31 points (10-of-21 FG), accounting for 46% of the Mavericks’ points against a feisty Spurs defense that constantly applied pressure. While Flagg still operated as a playmaker, it was far less effective with his teammates shooting a combined 31% from the field. He finished with only one assist and two turnovers, a far different outcome than his debut, when he had a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

With few able to buy a bucket, Flagg took notice and used his size and physicality to get to the rim. He was noticeably more aggressive, playing through contact while drawing 13 free-throw attempts (knocking down eight). Twelve of his 31 points came in the paint, where he shot an efficient 6 of 9. Even his 3-ball started dropping, connecting on three of his nine attempts. It’s a testament to his confidence as he’s undoubtedly the focal point of every opposing defense, and it only took one game to figure out how to score more effectively. He is absolutely going to put someone on a poster this year, and I applaud him for trying to catch another body in just his second professional game.

We already know what it is and what to expect from Flagg defensively. But it’s exciting to see how the Mavericks are deploying Flagg, putting him front and center and allowing him to cook. It’s wise to give him ample reps playing a variety of roles — primary facilitator, scorer and off-ball creator.

I have concerns about his ability to beat a defender off the dribble in the halfcourt, but at least the Mavericks are putting him in situations to work through it. They’re taking the correct approach to prepping him for any and everything, which is smart considering he’s such a versatile and athletic talent. And the sky-high usage rate he’s getting at Summer League isn’t reflective of the volume or attention he’ll see playing alongside other NBA vets like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving (eventually), D’Angelo Russell and others. Saturday’s clash was an early peek at Flagg’s ability to be a viable three-level scorer in the NBA.

Dylan Harper

Defensive intensity fuels promising debut

It took some time, but we finally got to see the second overall pick in action. First impressions were how locked in he was on the defensive end. Carter Bryant set the tone by doing his best to shadow Flagg full-court, and Harper’s effort followed. He had an unexpected highlight-reel block on Ryan Nembhard that drew oohs and aahs from the Thomas & Mack crowd. 

From that point on, Harper looked comfortable. He forced multiple deflections and made an impact at the point of attack, fending off screeners while providing help defense when appropriate. Harper’s defense stood out more than anything he did offensively.

Harper came into the Draft with question marks about his shooting, and while he didn’t do anything to change that narrative (he went 0 of 4 on 3s), he played to his strengths. He was most efficient in the paint and restricted areas, shooting 5 of 8, plus got to the line seven times, connecting on six of his attempts. All of his points came from his ability to get to the basket. 

Facilitation-wise, the point guard finished his afternoon with two assists and two turnovers. He operated seamlessly in the flow of the offense, so even though it may not have translated to assists, he didn’t force the issue, got downhill and excelled off the ball (lack of 3s aside). I want to see Harper take on more as a playmaker in his next game, but overall, it was a stellar debut for the second pick in the draft.

LAS VEGAS — The energy was electric at Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday afternoon as the top two attractions from the 2025 NBA Draft squared off: No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs. Each player flashed his potential, giving fans a highly entertaining matchup despite a low-scoring 76-69 Spurs win.

Unwavering confidence sparks offensive performance

Flagg lived up to his No. 1 billing, scoring a team-high 31 points (10-of-21 FG), accounting for 46% of the Mavericks’ points against a feisty Spurs defense that constantly applied pressure. While Flagg still operated as a playmaker, it was far less effective with his teammates shooting a combined 31% from the field. He finished with only one assist and two turnovers, a far different outcome than his debut, when he had a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

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With few able to buy a bucket, Flagg took notice and used his size and physicality to get to the rim. He was noticeably more aggressive, playing through contact while drawing 13 free-throw attempts (knocking down eight). Twelve of his 31 points came in the paint, where he shot an efficient 6 of 9. Even his 3-ball started dropping, connecting on three of his nine attempts. It’s a testament to his confidence as he’s undoubtedly the focal point of every opposing defense, and it only took one game to figure out how to score more effectively. He is absolutely going to put someone on a poster this year, and I applaud him for trying to catch another body in just his second professional game.

We already know what it is and what to expect from Flagg defensively. But it’s exciting to see how the Mavericks are deploying Flagg, putting him front and center and allowing him to cook. It’s wise to give him ample reps playing a variety of roles — primary facilitator, scorer and off-ball creator.

I have concerns about his ability to beat a defender off the dribble in the halfcourt, but at least the Mavericks are putting him in situations to work through it. They’re taking the correct approach to prepping him for any and everything, which is smart considering he’s such a versatile and athletic talent. And the sky-high usage rate he’s getting at Summer League isn’t reflective of the volume or attention he’ll see playing alongside other NBA vets like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving (eventually), D’Angelo Russell and others. Saturday’s clash was an early peek at Flagg’s ability to be a viable three-level scorer in the NBA.

Defensive intensity fuels promising debut

It took some time, but we finally got to see the second overall pick in action. First impressions were how locked in he was on the defensive end. Carter Bryant set the tone by doing his best to shadow Flagg full-court, and Harper’s effort followed. He had an unexpected highlight-reel block on Ryan Nembhard that drew oohs and aahs from the Thomas & Mack crowd.

From that point on, Harper looked comfortable. He forced multiple deflections and made an impact at the point of attack, fending off screeners while providing help defense when appropriate. Harper’s defense stood out more than anything he did offensively.

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Harper came into the Draft with question marks about his shooting, and while he didn’t do anything to change that narrative (he went 0 of 4 on 3s), he played to his strengths. He was most efficient in the paint and restricted areas, shooting 5 of 8, plus got to the line seven times, connecting on six of his attempts. All of his points came from his ability to get to the basket.

Facilitation-wise, the point guard finished his afternoon with two assists and two turnovers. He operated seamlessly in the flow of the offense, so even though it may not have translated to assists, he didn’t force the issue, got downhill and excelled off the ball (lack of 3s aside). I want to see Harper take on more as a playmaker in his next game, but overall, it was a stellar debut for the second pick in the draft.