Cooper Flagg continues streak of impressive playmaking despite Mavericks' loss to Hawks
· Yahoo Sports
Jason Kidd knows firsthand that it takes two to complete an assist.
The Mavericks coach ranks third in NBA history in that category, but those passes wouldn't have been recorded on the stat sheet if the recipients didn't finish with a basket.
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Cooper Flagg has seen an influx in his assists per game since he returned from a left midfoot sprain that sidelined him for eight games. He averaged 6.6 assists over the last nine games entering Wednesday's lopsided 135-120 loss to the Atlanta Hawks - an uptick from the 4.1 helpers per game before his injury.
One could surmise that Flagg is being more intentional with the pass as he looks to regain his scoring rhythm, but Kidd doesn't share the same perspective.
"He's been doing that," Kidd said during his pregame news conference. "I think a little bit of that is also [teammates] being able to finish and make shots. For us as a group, we're starting to make shots and I think that's helped him. But he's been making a lot of those plays. Early on, we weren't converting those and right now we are."
The Mavericks converted on 42 of their 86 field goal attempts in Wednesday's loss to the Hawks, which marked the 10th straight loss at home.
It was a night when they made 48.8% overall, 39.3% from 3 and 86.2% from the free throw line, but Atlanta entered as the hottest team in the NBA. The Hawks won their 11th straight game because they excelled on offense and buckled down defensively, especially on Flagg, who saw his three-game streak of at least 20 points come to an end.
The Mavericks rookie finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, which continued a streak of 10 straight games with at least five assists. With the loss, Dallas loses the season series to the Hawks one week after suffering a 124-112 in Atlanta on March 10.
The Hawks' 11th-ranked defense limited Flagg to just 14 points in the first matchup and his 17 points didn't come easy as they pressured him throughout the night. Flagg had an uncomfortable night, often showing moments of frustration because of the physicality of Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder was asked about Flagg before the game and playmaking was one of his main impressions.
"It's not only his ability, he's also willing and similar to what we have with Jalen [Johnson]. When you have that height, you're able to pass over the top of the defense at times and he's got good vision."
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