Cooper Flagg Injury Update: Jason Kidd Offers Grim Outlook on Rookie after Awful Performance vs Thunder

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks - Source: Imagn
NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks - Source: Imagn

Cooper Flagg had a miserable time against the OKC Thunder on Friday, scoring just two points on 1-for-9 shooting from the field. After the game, his head coach shared a not-so-positive outlook on his status.

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In the post-game media availability, Jason Kidd shed some light on Flagg's condition in the matchup against the Thunder. Apparently, the top overall draft pick wasn't 100% throughout the game.

"His shoulder is sore. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow," Kidd told reporters. "He played through it, he’s a tough kid, but we’ll have more tomorrow."
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As Flagg spends more time getting familiar with the NBA landscape, he will come to realize the quick turnaround time for recovery from soreness or even injuries.

Case in point: On Wednesday, the Mavericks will be hosting the Indiana Pacers. This means that the former Duke Blue Devil will have just 48 hours to get back to tiptop shape against a Pacers squad that's desperate to get their first victory.

Then, on Saturday, Dallas will square off against the Detroit Pistons. In the early goings of this season, the Pistons have already knocked off Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets and Jaylen Brown's Boston Celtics. Flagg, then, will have to bring his A-game against the likes of Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson.

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Flagg, who is averaging 13.0 points per game in four outings, has no pressure to carry the Mavs' scoring load on his own, as he has stars like Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson bringing firepower to the team's offense. At the same time, though, Flagg will have to elevate his numbers and his overall performance to a different level to help the 1-3 Mavs secure a winning record.

Cooper Flagg accomplishes statistical feat first achieved by Kobe Bryant

Indeed, it's no coincidence that Flagg's best performance thus far came in a Mavericks win. On the night that Flagg helped Dallas secure their first victory of the season, he also achieved a feat that he shares with an all-time great of the sport.

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By finishing with 22 points and no errors against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Flagg became the first player aged 18 years or younger to tally 20+ points and zero turnovers. The last player to pull off this feat was the late, great Kobe Bryant.

It's safe to say that this is not the last statistical accomplishment that Flagg will be sharing with legends of the game.

Mavericks Fan? Check out the latest Dallas Mavericks depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

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Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado
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