The negativity brewing in Dallas right now is off the charts. Probably not the kind of scenario most imagined when a certain Duke superstar declared for the NBA draft. The Mavericks won the draft lottery with Cooper Flagg but nothing has gone right for it since Nico Harrison pulled the trigger in the most blockbuster trade of the decade. The ROTY apparent has shown improvement but it could not salvage Dallas’ 3-9 start. Nor could it save Nico Harrison’s job.

Now Nico’s gone and in his place Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi are co-managing operations till a permanent selection is made. That would mean Cooper Flagg has had three general managers in the first 12 games of his career. He’s also had to deal with the fallout of Harrison’s decision that he had zero part in, something that was seemingly a sore point for his mom.

Surprisingly, in his first game in the post-Nico Harrison era, Flagg’s showcasing some grace. “For me, it’s about basketball. Now, obviously, I didn’t have an incredibly long relationship with Nico. But, you know, from when I knew him, he seemed like a really great guy, and we had a really solid relationship.”

He almost echoed Jason Kidd’s sentiments from the pre-game presser the same today by shifting focus away from Nico. “And today I’m here to play basketball, and, you know, whatever goes on above me, it’s above me. So, you know, I can’t worry about it too much. Just kind of keep trying to show up, and, you know, be who I am and try and get better every single day.”

Kidd too stated the team was going to focus on basketball. The Mavericks played against the Phoenix Suns in their first game since Nico Harrison was fired. Tensions still dominate the air at the American Airlines Center even though the ‘Fire Nico’ chants have ended. Flagg had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Klay Thompson had 19 points. Neither sufficed in turning the tide and the Mavs lost 114-123.

Jason Kidd also made a dramatic decision around Flagg tonight after Harrison’s dismissal. That mounts a lot of pressure on the rookie.

Mavericks relying on Cooper Flagg to fix sinking ship

One of the first ways the Luka Doncic trade backfired was Kyrie Irving’s injury. Anthony Davis’ health crises has seen no end. More injuries, including PJ Washington, struck. At the moment, Flagg is in a team without a true point guard or real defender.

The trade rumor mill is going crazy with potential Kyrie and AD proposals. Given the shorthanded team, maybe it’s understandable why Kidd played Cooper, a forward by design, in the point guard position tonight. Jason’s own son, TJ Kidd was mad at his dad.

It’s a sign of the direction Dallas is heading to and that is also upsetting fans. Flagg is doing his best tuning it out.  “There’s always noise… it’s been noise through college… there was noise when I was in high school… There’s always social media now, just in today’s day where we’re growing up and going through. Social media is a big part of that, and you just have to find ways to deal with it. You know, there’s always going to be distractions. There’s going to be stuff going on, people saying, you know, hate, whatever. So it’s just something we had to deal with, be more professional, and we just kind of continue to do our job and keep basketball at the forefront, and continue to worry about that.”

Funny he talks about social media and distractions. His mother pretty much called Nico Harrison one on social media. So Flagg’s gracious opinion on the most hated man in Dallas contrasts the vibes behind the scenes.