Victor Wembanyama dunked on Cooper Flagg's debut. And he shot over it. And walked around him. And he reminded everyone what was missing in the last two months of the French star’s second season.
Wembanyama wowed the crowd in Dallas, and the rowdy San Antonio contingent chanted “MVP! MVP! in the teams' season opener, recording 40 points and 15 rebounds in a 125-92 rout of the Spurs Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday evening.
Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, has been the talk of the town heading into the Dallas rookie game. The conversation centered around Vembanyama, who reminded why he was the top overall pick just two years ago.
The 7ft 4in Frenchman was playing in the regular season for the first time since a deep vein clot in his shoulder required surgery and limited him to 46 games last campaign.
“I think we all knew he was going to be intense,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He's been out for eight months. He's waited probably longer and harder than anyone else for this. You saw him seize the opportunity and play impressively.”
Flagg scored for the Spurs before scoring for himself and was called upon to serve as goaltender in the second quarter. His first basket finally came on the first possession of the second half, as the 18-year-old finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Flagg is the second youngest player to make his starting debut, two days older than LeBron James was 22 years ago.
“He's still a rookie,” said 13-year veteran Anthony Davis, who is entering his first full season with the Mavericks after being traded from the Lakers last February. “I'm not sure if he's into social media or not. But it was all about the match between Cooper Flagg and No. 1 pick Wembey. So you hear that. I'm not sure if it got to him, but that's the nervousness in the first game when it's time for something real.”
Flagg didn't even attempt a shot in the final 22 minutes of the first half after putting up a pair in the first two minutes, including a near-dunk by Davis on the fast break. The ball started to fall, but came back. He hit a jumper from the free throw line for his first points and hit a tough shot on his second basket. Flagg went 4-of-13 from the field and committed three turnovers.
“I was nervous, but I'm excited to continue,” Flagg said. “Obviously it hurts, that first loss. Try to look forward to the next one, turn the page and get ready. We know we have a lot better than this. Stay positive and stay ready.”
When asked about his performance, Flagg was blunt. “Not very good,” he said. “Obviously we didn't play very well, but we need to move past that, shift our focus and start looking towards Friday. [against the Washington Wizards]”
Meanwhile, Vembanyama dominated. The 21-year-old had seven of San Antonio's 12 dunks as the Spurs outscored the Mavericks 68-26 in the paint and outshot Dallas 58%-37%. Vembanyama went 15-of-21 from the field and had three blocked shots.
“We needed to make a statement in the dressing room. I feel like I need to make a statement to my teammates,” Vembanyama said. “This is just the beginning because I want to add a lot more to my game. Some things take time and maturity.”
Wembanyama hit Davis directly on multiple occasions, five times NBA Member of the universal defensive team. After a dunk late in the second quarter, he hit a jumper to draw Davis' fourth foul. In the second half, he dribbled the ball around him and hit a shot with his left hand. Davis was brought to Dallas for protection in a deal that cost the Mavericks an offensive star in his prime in Luka Doncic.
Wembanyama's performance was an eye-opener for Flagg, but it was what he expected.
“He's incredible,” Flagg said. “He's a different player. You don't really know what it's like until you're on the court with him. It's something I've never seen before. He was great tonight, but we've got to do a better job of trying to take away his looks. You can't foul him as much as we can.”
The 6-foot-9 Flagg was technically the starting point guard as the Mavericks await Kyrie Irving's return, which is likely months away as he recovers from a torn ACL.
