NBA Notes: Mavericks, Cooper Flagg, Rockets, Dorian Finney-Smith, All-Stars

Mavericks

The season has not gone according to plan for the Mavericks, but Cooper Flagg has been a legitimate bright spot.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN polled rival scouts, coaches, and executives, and the reviews on the No. 1 overall pick were glowing.

“He’s better than advertised, if that’s possible,” one Western Conference scouting director said.

Flagg has already shown he belongs, flashing polish, competitiveness, and two-way upside that suggests Dallas has at least one foundational piece locked in, even if the bigger picture remains murky.

Meanwhile, co-interim GM Michael Finley acknowledged that trade season can make players uneasy, but believes his own journey gives him credibility in those conversations.

“I’ve been overlooked in the draft. I’ve been traded. I’ve been amnestied. I’ve been waived,” Finley said, via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “Everything that you’ve experienced, I’ve experienced.”

Rockets

Houston is sniffing around the trade market for backcourt help, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

Dorian Finney-Smith is one possible salary piece. Since returning from ankle surgery, he has averaged 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game, but the Rockets own a plus-9.5 net rating in his minutes, with a 102.1 defensive rating.

Names linked to Houston include Jose Alvarado, Scotty Pippen Jr., Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu, though cost and salary matching complicate most paths.

The Rockets are not expected to move Fred VanVleet, and they do not want to shrink Reed Sheppard’s role, Siegel reports.

All-Stars

ESPN and The Athletic both surveyed league insiders on All-Star starter snubs. The consensus was that the top 10 selections were defensible, though Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell were widely viewed as worthy of starting consideration.

Close calls, not outrage — unless you live in those cities and root for the Cavaliers and Timberwolves.