Another day, another setback, and that has become the Dallas Mavericks’ new reality. Still, they clawed back from multiple deficits to push the Los Angeles Clippers to a second overtime before finally running out of gas. James Harden snapped L.A.’s six-game losing streak with a 41-point triple-double, yet Dallas didn’t walk away empty-handed. There were real positives for the Mavs, and Cooper Flagg found a few lessons worth sharing.

Cooper Flagg is finally looking like himself again, and it showed. He knocked down the bucket that forced double overtime, a clear sign of rising confidence. His growth stems from returning to his natural position, the spot where he has always wanted to be.

Flagg finished with 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and with some early-season duties lifted, he is now playing with a steadier rhythm and a clearer purpose. “I think honestly, just having somebody to help relieve pressure. It’s a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility with being a point guard. Yeah, I don’t know if I was ready for that, or I was ready to handle that right off the bat. I tried my best,” he said about operating as a point guard.

Shifting roles was always going to be rough for Cooper Flagg. Asking him to run an offense he had never played left the Mavericks stalled and him out of rhythm. The attack simply couldn’t flow with Flagg as the initiator. Now, with Brandon Williams and D’Angelo Russell handling the ball, he can finally lean into his strengths.

It’s still imperative for Flagg to polish his passing skills. He turned the ball over four times today, twice in the second overtime. However, moving to his small forward spot has helped Flagg find his fit with the Mavericks. He averaged 16.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in November. And he is still open to a transition to playing as the one. But for now, he feels the team is doing better having two natural playmakers do their jobs.

“Just to have somebody in there, relieve that you know. Obviously, B Will has been playing really, really well. When we get D’Lo like we had him tonight. Just those guys, when they are on, I mean we are better with them on the court,” he said after the game.

And with how the Mavericks’ recent games have gone, it seems health is the primary factor holding them back.

The Dallas Mavericks need a better offensive arsenal

Nico Harrison’s firing and Cooper Flagg’s move back to his natural position haven’t sparked wins for the Mavericks, though. They are 1-5 since Jason Kidd made the switch, and the offense hasn’t taken a real step forward, with the assist-to-turnover ratio dropping to 1.35. Yet, those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Beneath the losses, there are signs of progress that point to something more than the standings suggest.

Neither of those games has been a true blowout. The offense is just stagnant because their primary scoring options are on the sidelines. Currently, Flagg is the Mavericks’ second leading scorer. Although Naji Marshall and D’Angelo Russell combined for 56 tonight, teams are willing to take a chance. Without a bona fide offensive threat, it’s hard to piece an offense together.

That’s one of the main causes of the Mavericks’ high turnovers. There’s nobody to constantly throw the ball to. They always have to invent something. And there’s a threshold for creating. Teams begin to catch on soon, which makes the system predictable. But as bad as their record seems, it’s health that will rejuvenate the Mavericks.

Dereck Lively II made his return on a minutes restriction tonight. Anthony Davis is also close to being back on the court. With AD in the lineup, there’s some structure to the offense. Moreover, the Mavs can run a lot of their action through him, which could be a difference maker in tight games.

It’s too soon to ponder how the team will look with Kyrie Irving. But he is integral for them to reach their ceiling. The Mavericks have size and versatility. KAI provides them with a dynamic scorer who can pull them out of trouble. With how their season is progressing, analysts have flirted with the idea of the Mavs shutting down Irving for the entire season.

That isn’t a decision they have to make now. Right now, it’s about gradually building confidence and incorporating healthy pieces back into the mix. Once that happens, the Mavericks could be a much better team than their record represents.