Mavericks get reminder they can help Cooper Flagg, too

Cooper Flagg doesn’t need to rescue the Mavericks every time their offense gets stuck. Friday offered a useful reminder that they have other players capable of getting things moving.

P.J. Washington was the biggest reason.

With Flagg struggling early and Kyrie Irving playing through an illness, Washington scored 26 points and made six of 10 attempts from three in a 112-100 win over the Jazz. Morez Johnson Jr. added 13 points and 17 rebounds, giving Dallas production it needed while its stars found their rhythm.

As Austin Veazey of Mavericks On SI noted⁠, Washington’s fit alongside Flagg wasn’t always convincing last season. Performances like this show the value of having another forward who can punish defenses from the perimeter.

Santi Aldama’s debut supplied another encouraging development. Returning from knee surgery, he collected eight points and nine rebounds in roughly 13 minutes. Dallas outscored Utah by 17 during his time on the floor.

That won’t happen every night. But his shooting threat and versatility give coach Dusty May another option as the rotation gets healthier.

Flagg eventually finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Still, his 2-of-8 first half continued a three-game stretch of difficult starts, something worth addressing even when the final numbers look good.

The Mavericks broke Friday’s game open with a 21-6 run to close the third quarter, ending a two-game skid and improving to 2-0 in NBA Cup play.

Beating Utah won’t settle many questions about their ceiling. Getting meaningful help from Washington, Johnson and Aldama does give Dallas a better chance of finding it.

Flagg can carry plenty. The Mavericks are better off giving him fewer reasons to have to.

MORE HOOPS | Available NBA free agents by position⁠