The Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs squared off in a highly anticipated summer league matchup between the two top picks in the draft. Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper matched up for what is hopefully the first of many times in their budding NBA careers.
San Antonio walked away with a 76-67 victory in the second summer league game for each team, preserving its 2-0 record in Harper’s summer league debut. Both players showed the flashes of why they deserved to be the first two players off the board and why their new fan bases should be thrilled for the future.
Cooper Flagg Stats vs. Spurs
It was a quiet start to Flagg’s NBA summer league debut against the Lakers. He struggled as a shooter, going 5-for-21 from the field, and was limited to 10 points, six rebounds and four assists while missing all five of his three-point attempts.
Flagg shook off the underwhelming start and showed why he was the clear No. 1 pick of the draft. The 18-year-old finished with 31 points and four rebounds while shooting 10-for-20 from the field and connecting on three three-pointers. His confidence and poise expand well beyond his age, and Flagg continues to take on ball-handling responsibilities at a fairly high rate.
No one should have had any concerns after his summer league opener, as many stars struggled in their debut. There is a clear pathway to Flagg being one of the most dominant two-way players in the league. His versatility to scale his role up or down from a usage standpoint makes him especially unique.
Flagg currently holds -185 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook to win Rookie of the Year. There is also a variety of Flagg-specific prop bets that you can check out here.
Dylan Harper Stats in Summer League Debut
While Flagg clocked 31 minutes of action, Harper was limited to just 17 minutes. This marked his first summer league game after dealing with groin soreness. The Rutgers product made the most of his limited opportunity, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. This all came while he struggled a bit as a shooter, connecting on just five of his 12 shots and missing all four of his three-point attempts.
The jump shot will be a storyline to watch in Harper’s rookie season after he shot just 33.3% from deep in his one-and-done season at Rutgers. But his ability to get to the rim in seemingly non-existent windows continues to stand out. Harper plays with impressive maturity and reads pick-and-rolls better than many veteran NBA guards. Expect his workload to continue to scale up after the team was cautious in his debut due to the groin problem.
Harper is second in Rookie of the Year odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, holding +900 odds of taking home the prestigious trophy.
Carter Bryant Stats
While Flagg and Harper were the headline talents, it was impossible not to be drawn to 14th overall pick Carter Bryant. The Arizona product played a limited role during his sole season in college, but is showing why he can grow into one of the premier 3-and-D wings in the league.
The offense is still a work in progress, as he was limited to two points on 0-for-7 shooting and missing all five of his three-point attempts. But it felt as if Bryant was everywhere defensively and was not shy to match up with Flagg throughout the game.
Bryant is not nearly the finished product that the top two picks are, but the 19-year-old has some raw traits that you cannot teach, notably his verticality and recovery speed popping through screens. Spurs fans should be excited for a potential duo of Bryant and Victor Wembanyama.
Bryant holds +25,000 odds of winning Rookie of the Year on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Spurs hold -135 odds of qualifying for the NBA playoffs.
