Jason Kidd’s assessment of Cooper Flagg’s return from injury against the Knicks
After two games of absence due to an ankle injury, c Dallas Mavericks welcome rookie star Cooper Flagg returned to the lineup during their 114-97 road win against the New York Knicks on Monday. Flagg had a strong game, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd talked about what he saw from his star rookie, according to Ron Harrod Jr. of the DLLS Mavs.
“He looked good. The athleticism, the jump, the spirit, the energy, it looked like he wasn’t out there,” Kidd said. “When you shoot the ball the way we’ve been shooting lately, the last three games, the floor opens up. But even when we didn’t shoot like this, he was still able to get to the paint, that’s what he’s good at.”
In what was also a bit of a highlight, Cooper Flagg’s return from injury against the Knicks also coincided with his first career game at Madison Square Garden.
Although there was strong competition from Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knuepel for the Rookie of the Year award, Flagg undoubtedly made his own case for honors. After shaking off a slow start to the season, Flagg seemingly found his stride as the year went on.
So far, he has appeared in 41 games, with just over 33 minutes per game. He is averaging 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals on 47.8 percent shooting from the field, 28.6 percent from the 3-point line and 80.7 percent from the free throw line.
The Mavericks look to build on their current three-game winning streak as they host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
2026-01-21 20:15:00
