Latest news with #RyanNembhard
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cooper Flagg's NBA Summer League ends after Mavericks shut him down
Cooper Flagg won't suit up for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Summer League this week. The Mavericks have decided to shut down Flagg after two games in Las Vegas, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. Flagg, 18, made his unofficial Mavericks debut Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He had a shaky shooting night (10 points on 5 of 21 from the field) inside a packed Thomas & Mack Center. However, Flagg's talent was on display in the Mavericks' 87-85 win against the Lakers. Advertisement With about one minute remaining, Flagg blocked a shot attempt at the rim and then assisted Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard for Dallas' go-ahead basket. Afterwards, Flagg was critical of his performance, calling it 'one of the worst games of my life.' He added, 'But we got the win, so that's what really matters to me.' In Saturday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, Flagg had no issues scoring. He made shots from all three levels for 31 points. He also got to the free-throw line 13 times, converting eight of those shots. Flagg was responsible for 10 of Dallas' 24 field goals in its 76-69 loss to San Antonio. The Mavericks didn't need to see anything more from Flagg after that. The No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft impacted the game in a variety of ways in the two games he played in Las Vegas, which the Mavericks are counting on him to do this season. It's not uncommon for teams to shut down top picks who are on summer rosters. The Spurs ended 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama's summer league after two games in Las Vegas. The summer league continues through July 20. At Duke, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists and earned ACC Player of the Year honors while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. He also won the Wooden and Naismith Player of the Year awards and was an All-American. (Photo of Cooper Flagg: Brian Choi / NBAE via Getty Images)
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg draws reveiws from pro debut, despite off night in win over Lakers
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg may not have been happy with his professional debut on Thursday night in the NBA Summer League, but he still drew some rave reviews after the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 87-85. 'Super fun to play with, he's a super unselfish guy,' teammate Ryan Nembhard said. 'All he wants to do is win. Can guard five positions, can score the ball really well.' Advertisement Flagg finished with 10 points on 5-for-21 shooting, including 0 for 5 from 3-point range. The rookie also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and the biggest block of the night. With 1:10 remaining and the Mavericks trailing by one, Flagg blocked Los Angeles shooting guard DJ Steward, and Nembhard capitalized at the other end with a 3-pointer to give Dallas its 87-85 lead. 'Obviously, it wasn't his night tonight, but the gravity he has out there helps other guys get good looks,' Nembhard added. 'He's a super talent, and it's been fun to play with him so far.' Mavericks summer league coach Josh Broghamer said considering the team had just four practices to get acclimated with one another before arriving in Las Vegas, he was impressed with the effort in the second half. Advertisement 'Once they played basketball, you saw that ball moving. Cooper making the right decisions, Ryan making our decisions, Jordan Hall, so that was something to me that by second half, those guys all played basketball together,' Broghamer said. Broghamer said he was especially impressed with Flagg's conditioning after seeing how the Lakers picked him up full court defensively, trapped him from the outset, and continued to play him physically. 'I think he just makes the right play over and over again, and shots will fall,' Broghamer added. 'He makes winning plays, whether it's offense or defense. I think that's as advertised. Whether it's a right pass or defensive possession or scoring the ball, that's what he does.' Flagg, who played 31 minutes and 43 seconds, admitted he was nervous for his first professional game, attributing an entirely different environment from college to pro to his off night. But he also felt comfortable knowing his coaches and teammates had confidence. Advertisement Though Flagg said 'that might be one of the worst games in my life,' Lakers second-year player Bronny James was also complimentary. 'He's a quick, powerful, big,' said James, who finished with eight points and spent much of his time defending Flagg. 'I watched him in college, an amazing player. He's going to be something special.' ___ AP NBA: W.g. Ramirez, The Associated Press
Associated Press
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg draws reveiws from pro debut, despite off night in win over Lakers
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg may not have been happy with his professional debut on Thursday night in the NBA Summer League, but he still drew some rave reviews after the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 87-85. 'Super fun to play with, he's a super unselfish guy,' teammate Ryan Nembhard said. 'All he wants to do is win. Can guard five positions, can score the ball really well.' Flagg finished with 10 points on 5-for-21 shooting, including 0 for 5 from 3-point range. The rookie also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and the biggest block of the night. With 1:10 remaining and the Mavericks trailing by one, Flagg blocked Los Angeles shooting guard DJ Steward, and Nembhard capitalized at the other end with a 3-pointer to give Dallas its 87-85 lead. 'Obviously, it wasn't his night tonight, but the gravity he has out there helps other guys get good looks,' Nembhard added. 'He's a super talent, and it's been fun to play with him so far.' Mavericks summer league coach Josh Broghamer said considering the team had just four practices to get acclimated with one another before arriving in Las Vegas, he was impressed with the effort in the second half. 'Once they played basketball, you saw that ball moving. Cooper making the right decisions, Ryan making our decisions, Jordan Hall, so that was something to me that by second half, those guys all played basketball together,' Broghamer said. Broghamer said he was especially impressed with Flagg's conditioning after seeing how the Lakers picked him up full court defensively, trapped him from the outset, and continued to play him physically. 'I think he just makes the right play over and over again, and shots will fall,' Broghamer added. 'He makes winning plays, whether it's offense or defense. I think that's as advertised. Whether it's a right pass or defensive possession or scoring the ball, that's what he does.' Flagg, who played 31 minutes and 43 seconds, admitted he was nervous for his first professional game, attributing an entirely different environment from college to pro to his off night. But he also felt comfortable knowing his coaches and teammates had confidence. Though Flagg said 'that might be one of the worst games in my life,' Lakers second-year player Bronny James was also complimentary. 'He's a quick, powerful, big,' said James, who finished with eight points and spent much of his time defending Flagg. 'I watched him in college, an amazing player. He's going to be something special.' ___ AP NBA:
NBC Sports
11-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
NBA Summer League Day 1: Ryan Nembhard steals spotlight from Bronny James, Cooper Flagg
LAS VEGAS — With two courts and eight games of action every day, there is a lot to see at the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Here are some of the highlights we saw on Day 1. Star of Bronny/Flagg showdown: Ryan Nembhard The Thomas & Mack was overflowing with fans there to see Bronny James and Cooper Flagg — and that duo had their moments. A lot of fans left the Thomas & Mack Center, saying, 'Who is Ryan Nembhard? Is he related to that guy from the Pacers?' Yes, Ryan is the younger brother of Indiana's Andrew Nembhard. Ryan played two years at Creighton, then had an impressive two seasons at Gonzaga, but went undrafted in June. There were a couple of reasons for that. One, he's listed at 5'11", and standing next to him, that might be generous. Second, he was seen as a reluctant scorer and not a great shooter. Not so sure about that last part — Nembhard scored a game-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting in the Mavericks' win over the Lakers on Thursday night. 'That's what he does. He can do both [pass and score],' Mavericks coach Josh Broghamer said. 'I think, especially in college, he was a facilitator, he ran that whole offense, but he can go get it, too. So that was really good for him.' The Mavericks saw the potential in Nembhard and snapped him up with a two-way contract just after the draft. It's just one Summer League game, but that seems like a smart bet right now. —Kurt Helin Stacked Nets/Timberwolves highlights Day one of Summer League in Las Vegas started out with a matchup between the Pelicans and the Timberwolves, which was a matchup of two stacked teams by Summer League standards. New Orleans had recent first-round picks like Jeremiah Fears (Pick 7, 2025), Derik Queen (Pick 13, 2025) and Yves Missi (Pick 21, 2024), while Minnesota had Rob Dillingham (Pick 8, 2024), Terrence Shannon Jr. (Pick 27, 2024) and Joan Beringer (Pick 17, 2025). There were plenty of bright spots for both teams, but nobody shone brighter than Beringer, who finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, two steals and six blocks. Minnesota has Rudy Gobert under contract for two more seasons, with a player option on a third year. It's only one Summer League, so we shouldn't overreact, but the idea is that Beringer will develop into an effective player in the same mold as Gobert. An athletic, rim-running center that has the potential to be a special defensive player. NO FLY ZONE 😳 French rookie Joan Beringer with back-to-back blocks in Summer League for the Wolves 😯 Dillingham had a ton of flashy moves and got wherever he wanted on the court. The shots just didn't always go in. The same can be said for Fears. Both guards had fun plays, poor field goal percentages and exactly seven turnovers. Missi had his shot blocked by Beringer a couple of times but otherwise looked really strong and certainly may not need to play many more games in Summer League. that Fears x Missi pick & roll whewwwww The only somewhat concerning aspect of the game for the Pelicans was Queen, and it wasn't that it was all bad. He had some excellent passes and a few nice buckets. He even hit a pull-up three late in the game. His ability to space the floor could allow him to thrive next to Zion Williamson on the offensive end. However, he really struggled to defend down low, and he turned the ball over seven times. The turnovers shouldn't continue to be an issue, but his inability to defend effectively is something that will need to be improved if a frontcourt pairing of Queen and Zion is ever going to work. Otherwise, they just traded their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to add a backup. —Noah Rubin In other news: • Lakers' Dalton Knecht's leg cramp leads to spectacular miss. This seemed like the most Summer League of plays from the Lakers' Dalton Knecht. LMAO, I love summer league. However, after that fall, Knecht stayed on the ground for a minute, rubbing his calf, with what he later said was a cramp that hit at just the wrong time. 'Yeah, both my legs cramped, and, you know, f****** airballed the layup,' Knecht said, 'So, it's whatever.' After a rough first half (and before the cramps), Knecht had a strong second half with a couple of pull-up jumpers that helped the Lakers lead by as many as 10 at one point. 'Just found my rhythm,' Knecht said. 'You know, it's been a while since I've played, you know, just finding my rhythm on the court, and, you know, just finding my spots. All my shots were right there, and just, you know, just started falling.' Knecht finished with 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting. —Helin • Game winner of the day goes to Jamaree Bouyea. The Bucks and Nuggets played the game of the day. It came down to the end when Denver's E.J. Liddell had a tip-dunk to put Denver up one with five seconds left, but that was just enough time for Bucks two-way player Jamaree Bouyea to do this: BOUYEA. BOOYAH. JAMAREE CALLED GAME! • Ajay Mitchell looks too good for Summer League. Ajay Mitchell played one game in Las Vegas. That may be all we see of him in Sin City. Mitchell came out in his first game in Las Vegas and looked like one of those players who is just a cut above this level as a floor general and player, dropping 20 points, with a couple of 3-pointers in the mix. The steal + the AND-1 = Tough 😤 He similarly impressed in three games at the Salt Lake City Summer League, where he averaged 19.7 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds a game. After missing a chunk of time last season, he's just happy to get back on the court. 'Obviously, I have that experience from last year, so I knew kind of what Summer League was,' Mitchell said. 'And I think it's always great to be able to compare year to year, the areas I improved, the areas I can still work on. It's a great experience for me.' There certainly are areas he can work on, Mitchell got a little loose with the ball and had six turnovers. Still, the Thunder know what they have, which is why they locked up Mitchell this summer with a three-year, $8.7 million contract, rewarding the UC Santa Barbara Gaucho for a promising rookie season and the role he could step into with this team. —Helin • Classic Summer League: The Thunder's Erik Reynolds controls the rock off the jump ball... then scores in the Nets basket. Summer League Baby!!! lmfao Erik Reynolds scores on the wrong basket, with Jordi on the broadcast! Holy summer league "We gotta say thanks" (Officially, this did not count, it's a violation of what is unofficially nicknamed the 'Ricky Davis Rule.') —Helin • Good debut for Nets' Nolan Traore. Four of Brooklyn's rookies took to the court for their first Summer League action on Thursday, and it was a mixed bag. Egor Demin showed flashes, while this was not Danny Wolf's night. The best of them was French point guard Nolan Traore, who looked like a guy who has played against men before (he played professionally in France last year) and was comfortable, finishing with 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting and getting to the line six times. It was a promising start. 'I think his speed translates very well,' Nets coach Steve Hetzel said. 'We definitely put him in some actions where he could throw it and get it back and try to attack the rim. I thought he handled himself well with the physicality.' —Helin • Heaves. One interesting statistical note for Summer League — end-of-quarter desperation half-court (or longer) heaves are not going to count as a shot. As tested during the 2024–25 NBA G League season and in effect for all 2025 NBA summer leagues, an unsuccessful end-of-period 'heave' will be recorded as a team—not individual—missed field goal attempt when all of the following criteria are met: 🏀 The missed field goal attempt… This is overdue (and some statistical models already account for this). Watch any NBA game and you'll see players hold on to the ball just an extra half-second so their heave is after the buzzer doesn't count against their 3-point shooting stats. Now, let it fly, it's not going to matter.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cooper Flagg's Summer League debut: 3 observations, including the potential of 'Point Flagg'
Cooper Flagg's Summer League debut gave us a glimpse of his future in Dallas. From running the offense to defending multiple positions, 'Point Flagg' is already flashing upside — even if the shots didn't fall. It's early, but the vision, poise, and potential are all very real. 'Point Flagg' can be a thing From the jump, Flagg didn't shy away from co-piloting the Mavericks' ball-handling and playmaking duties with Ryan Nembhard. Flagg brought the ball up on the game's first possession, calmly working through early double teams and pressure from 94 feet. The Lakers tested his handle immediately, but Flagg stayed poised, crossing half-court with control and initiating offense with purpose. Advertisement Though his first official assist didn't come until halfway through the second quarter, when he stole the ball in traffic and delivered a crisp transition dime to Moussa Cisse for a dunk, Flagg generated several opportunities that teammates couldn't finish. I counted at least three missed corner 3s in the first quarter alone that were created off his dribble penetration. The potential hockey assists were prevalent, too. In the end, Flagg finished with four dimes and the last one came off a nasty block that led to a transition 3. He got downhill and read help rotations well. The jump-passes could get him in trouble down the line, but on this night he turned over the ball only once. It's also encouraging to see that Flagg was the first read off of a defensive rebound to push the pace and tempo of the Mavericks' offense. Much like at Duke, Flagg showed he's a willing and instinctual passer — someone who processes the game quickly and can play point-forward without breaking rhythm. With Kyrie Irving out, the Mavericks are wisely testing his confidence. Vegas Summer League doesn't match the intensity of the regular season, however, earning trust to initiate the offense on occasion is key for his development and the Mavs' future. This version of "Point Flagg" might not rack up gaudy assist numbers early, but the vision and impact are unmistakably real. Advertisement Cold but confident: Flagg struggles from the field, keeps letting it fly Flagg had a rough shooting night — finishing just 5 of 21 from the floor and missing all five of his 3-point attempts — but what stood out more than the misses was his composure in taking them. He shook off some early-game jitters and got to his comfort zone near the rim and in the midrange. The problem is, the shots weren't falling. He shot just 3 for 10 near the rim and 5 for 16 overall on 2-point field goals. Unsurprisingly, Flagg did well in transition, scoring six of his 10 points via the fast break. His shot selection wasn't reckless. He hunted mismatches and was aggressive from the outset to the closing buzzer. One standout play came when Flagg hit an easy turnaround middy on Bronny James. Adjusting to NBA physicality takes time The defense was legit. Flagg held his own after guarding multiple positions, from Bronny James to Dalton Knecht to Darius Bazley. The versatility was evident when collapsing on ball-handlers, as he maintained active hands in the frontcourt, creating loose balls that led to turnovers. He ended the night with three steals and a block. Advertisement All that said, there were notable struggles when he met any physicality on the glass or attempted to finish through contact. Racking up six boards was cool, but he looked timid at times, and that's something that only experience can combat. We have to remember it's his first professional game. Given the pressure and stakes, there were some positive developments mixed in with areas of opportunity, like any rookie in the NBA. Now we hope and pray we'll get to see him in action the rest of the weekend.
