Grading Cooper Flagg's jaw-dropping Mavericks debut against Thunder

In the Dallas Mavericks' first preseason contest versus the Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickie's Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, local fans were mainly looking to see what new No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg would be able to do in brief action. Head coach Jason Kidd made it clear in the pre-game that Flagg would only play in the first half, but that's all Mavericks fans needed to see in regard to the potential that is beckoning from the young man out of Duke University.

Flagg anchored down on opposing ball handlers well as an on-ball defender throughout the entire first half, and his ability to find players in the pick-and-roll, short-roll, and on the weak-side off drives, was something that really stuck out in his first preseason contest, Granted, Dallas was going against a severely undermanned Thunder squad, but Flagg had three assists in the contests, and at least 2-3 hockey assists.

Obviously, Flagg isn't going to be able to replicate Luka Doncic's playmaking out the gate by any stretch of the imagination, but his passing and decision-making have looked great up to this point in preseason and through Summer League, as it was easily one of the biggest takeaways from his 14 minutes of game action.

Cooper Flagg's preseason debut showcased his full array of talents

Flagg had a few close misses on some tough midrange post-up fade-aways, but his offensive game looked very fluid outside of that. He canned two 3-pointers in the second quarter once he started heating up, and while it's only one preseason game and one shouldn't react too preemptively, his jump shot appeared to look even more comfortable than at Summer League.

To go along with his on-ball defense, Flagg also had a very nice weak-side block on Isaiah Joe toward the beginning of the first quarter, showcasing his relentless pursuit and rangy athleticism on the defensive end. Flagg's conditioning and work ethic have been raved about by the Mavericks since he was drafted, and these were things that stuck out in this contest as well, as he brought the ball up the floor on multiple occasions while still bringing his same intensity on the defensive end.

Flagg may not have had any show-stopping dunks, but he had a great up-and-under layup in the open court during the second quarter, which goes to show how dangerous he can be with his speed, athleticism, and control in fastbreak scenarios for the Mavericks this season. Overall, Flagg finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one block, while shooting 3-6 from the field and 2-3 from outside.

With Flagg only getting limited run, he still had a very all-around game and displayed his full array of talents, even looking solid as a screener and cutter. Sure, Flagg could've produced more volume from an offensive perspective to truly warrant the highest grade possible in his debut, but we are going to give him an A+ for his debut, mainly because it's merely an exhibition game, and he did everything he was tasked with and did so in an efficient fashion, while also staying healthy.