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4 hours ago
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Two Games--that was the number of appearances Cooper Flagg had during the NBA Las Vegas Summer League before the Dallas Mavericks shut him down.
Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, impressed early, erupting for 31 points in his second showing after a poor performance during his first game in the Summer League. Following his superb performance, the Mavericks opted to rest him for the rest of the Summer League.
While he didn't mention Flagg by name, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green made his feelings clear about the trend of teams sitting rookies during Summer League.
"I find it very interesting that players get bashed for 'load management,' but rookies get shut down during summer league these days ... fascinating, huh?" Green wrote this week on Threads.
The Mavericks weren't the only team making decisions alone. The San Antonio Spurs sat Dylan Harper, who has been dealing with a groin injury, while the 76ers pulled VJ Edgecombe, and the Utah Jazz pulled Ace Bailey.
The Mavericks finished 2-3 in Summer League and struggled to find offensive rhythm without Flagg in the lineup. He has since returned to Dallas, where he will spend the rest of the summer training ahead of his highly anticipated rookie campaign ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
While Green's comments add to the ongoing discussion around load management and resting players, it's important to note the context: the Summer League carries less weight than the regular season.
For a franchise like the Mavericks, there is significance to protecting a franchise cornerstone player like Flagg; it is a calculated move. However it is clear that the discussion surrounding loa management is still ongoing.
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