It took one rotation change for Mavericks to finally revive Cooper Flagg

After five games in a row of shooting under 50 percent from the field and scoring less than 20 points, Cooper Flagg is back. The Dallas Mavericks lost Friday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers by 33 points, but Jason Kidd prioritized a rotation change that paid off for his rookie star.

Kidd started a point guard alongside Flagg rather than having him be the team's primary ball handler to begin the game for the first time since he returned from a left midfoot sprain last week, and it paid off. Flagg finished with 25 points, four rebounds, and five assists while shooting 8-16 from the field and 8-8 from the free throw line, and the Cooper Flagg that Mavericks fans know and love was on full display.

Jason Kidd pairs Cooper Flagg with a true point guard again

Flagg was finishing around the bucket through contact with ease (seven of his eight buckets were in the paint), and instead of barely playing with Ryan Nembhard or Brandon Williams, he spent every second of the game with one of his point guards. He played 27 minutes with Nembhard and about three minutes with Williams, and not having to bring the ball up every time definitely helped relieve some pressure off him.

This was a major difference from what we initially saw after he returned from injury, as he spent over 75 percent of his minutes as the team's primary creator. Kidd switched up the rotation, allowing him to play more with Nembhard and Williams, and his production skyrocketed.

He was no longer getting double-teamed every possession, and his scoring came more naturally rather than having to make everything happen on his own.

Instead of dealing with constant on-ball pressure and creating offense for himself and others, Flagg could move away from the ball and allow Nembhard to create offense for him. Five of Flagg's eight buckets were assisted, and Nembhard racked up three of these assists.

The Ryan Nembhard effect

He and Flagg have had excellent chemistry since before Summer League even began, and this was obvious against Cleveland. Nembhard knows where Flagg likes to receive the ball, and his selflessness, combined with Flagg's knack for getting to the rim, worked out well for Dallas in this home affair against one of the Eastern Conference's powerhouses.

Nembhard going from a non-factor in the rotation to the team's starting point guard is definitely a sign, and if last night proved anything, it's that he and Flagg bring the best out of one another. They've been playing with each other as long as anyone on the team, dating back to last summer, and the Mavericks are in good hands with their two rookies.

How Cooper Flagg thrived off the ball

Flagg was able to take advantage of switches and different advantages coming from secondary actions rather than having to be the initiator, and this is a much better fit for his playstyle. He was abusing smaller defenders down low all night long, and both Dwight Powell and Naji Marshall fed him for a bucket inside coming off timely cuts and seal-offs.

This is only possible when you're operating off the ball, and Kidd finally heard Mavericks fans' cries and made this crucial change to the way that he utilizes Flagg to end the season. It was a major difference from how Flagg looked in his first five games back from injury, and with Flagg's development being more important than anything, this rotation shift is likely something Kidd should consider to end the 2025-26 season.

The numbers will tell you this, and more.

Cooper Flagg isn't ready to be an offensive engine just yet, and even though Kidd forcing him to play point guard at the beginning of the season definitely had its benefits, it's clear that his best fit is off the ball when sharing the court with a point guard. Kyrie Irving's return next season should work wonders for Flagg and the rest of the Mavericks' offense, but until then, Kidd should continue to explore how playing Flagg with a true point guard can raise his game to another level.