The Dallas Mavericks might be adding another player to its current injury list after what Cooper Flagg revealed at Monday’s postgame press conference. Flagg shared that he suffered an injury against the Milwaukee Bucks, but he made it seem like there was nothing to worry about.
Speaking to reporters after the Mavs’ eighth loss of the season, Flagg announced that he suffered a right thumb injury late in the game. He played through it and finished the game with 26 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
“It’s doing okay. It happened one of the plays the last game when I was attacking the rim trying to dunk… A little sprain, thumb sprain. Nothing too crazy. I was able to play through it tonight… It was obviously a little painful, but like I said, nothing crazy,” Flagg said, via Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban.
Flagg’s effort wasn’t enough to prevent the Mavericks’ 116-114 loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. However, the thumb injury could be a concern moving forward, especially being on his shooting hand. He’s already struggling with his shot, and an injury won’t help improve it.
If Flagg doesn’t get cleared from his injury, he’ll be joining Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum on the shelf.
Nico Harrison Firing Overshadows Flagg’s Injury
While it seems like Cooper Flagg’s injury isn’t serious, it’s still a bit concerning for the Dallas Mavericks. However, the firing of general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday morning has overshadowed the gloom and doom surrounding the nature of Flagg’s thumb issue.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that team governor Patrick Dumont has decided to part ways with Harrison nine months after the shocking Luka Doncic trade. Dumont has seemingly listened to the call of many Mavericks fans to fire Harrison, not just after the February trade, but also for the way the team has been playing to start the season.
“The Mavericks are firing Harrison nine months after the jarring and stunning Luka Doncic trade – a move for which Dumont took accountability and accepted as a mistake in a court-side interaction with a fan on Monday night,” Charania tweeted.
Charania added that the Mavericks are planning to name Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as interim general managers. They are expected to steer the franchise into a new era after Harrison’s infamous run that culminated in the franchise trading a generational talent to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Flagg’s Mom Retweets Fan Calling Harrison a Distraction
Before Nico Harrison was given the boot, Cooper Flagg’s mom, Kelly Flagg, seemingly shared her feelings on the now former Dallas Mavericks general manager. Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker reported that Kelly retweeted a fan’s post calling Harrison a distraction for his son and the entire franchise.
“Cooper Flagg should not have to listen to ‘Fire Nico’ chants when a teammate of his is at the free throw line with the game on the line. Nico Harrison will be a huge distraction and a stain on this franchise until he is fired. Get rid of him as soon as possible so we can all move forward,” the fan @MavsStan41 tweeted.
With Harrison gone, Mavericks fans can now start moving on from the franchise-altering trade and focus on supporting Flagg. He has shown a lot of potential despite some ups and downs, but it’s part of being a rookie in the NBA. He’s averaging 15.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
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