Cooper Flagg, Ryan Nembhard & Josh Broghamer Interviews — Day 1 of Dallas Mavericks Summer League
as a kick. You’re looking for a comfort guy in the left leg. Yeah. Uh first um I just want to say that, you know, my thoughts and prayers um are are with the families that were affected in the situation this past weekend out here. So, just want to say that. But, you know, my expectations um I’m excited. You know, I’m excited to, you know, I’ve been in the gym with the guys, got to know a bunch of them. So, I’m excited to just get out there. Um get back on the court. You know, I’m placing five on five. Any particular goals that you have? Uh, I wouldn’t, you know, say specific goals, but I just want to go out, um, you know, show I’ve improved, should I’ve gotten better, and, um, you know, have have a couple of games. What’s that process like for you when you’re getting with a group of guys that you’ve never played with, and you’re all trying to build some chemistry? Yeah, I mean, it’s tough. It’s It’s always tough, you know, getting in a new setting, a new team. You know, all these guys are going through this whole process. You know, some guys have done it for a couple years, some guys it’s the first first time like me. So, you know, um, it’s hard. You know, that’s never easy, but you know, they got great group of eyes and, you know, a lot of good players, so it should make it a little easier. Cooper, from your opening press conference the other day and Jason Kid sitting next to you and he’s emphasizing he wants you to handle the rock a lot and play some point guard. How does that make you feel? And is that something you’re looking forward to? Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I mean, I think, you know, Coach Sh trusted me a lot last year and I I handled it a lot. You know, I didn’t bring it up with some, but you know, in the half court, I handled it a lot and, you know, set up a lot of different actions. So, um, I think it’s something I can do at a high level. So, I’m excited to just, you know, experiment and do some new things. You and Ryan are, you know, a few of the many Mont Beard guys on the Mavericks now. Um, I think you guys over overlapped or anything, but do you have any familiarity? Did you know him before this or anything? I didn’t know him. No, he was gone before I got there, but um, that’s something that we’ve been able to talk about and connect on and, you know, Ryan’s a great player. Um, incredible passer. Um, can really score it as well. I don’t know if people realize that. So, um, I’m excited to, you know, get on the court with him. Now that you’ve had some time to actually experience Dallas, what are your initial impressions of the city? Yeah, I mean it’s beautiful. I’m excited. You know, it’s an incredible place to live, um, to be. So, I’m excited to, you know, continue to explore Dallas and then back to your intro presser. Um, you know, you said that you’re excited to try new things at the summer league. When Jason Kit was talking about you, you know, he looks at failure as an opportunity to learn. So, just with the pressure of, you know, being drafted number one overall, how much is it that you have support from your head coach that you can try new things and there’s some space there? Yeah, I think it it gives me a lot of confidence obviously, you know, having that um kind of message and confidence from him just knowing that you’re going to trust me, you know, try some new things and, you know, we’ve talked about him just telling me that, you know, it’s going to you’re going to go through some failure, but um um he’s not worried about, you know, mistakes or little things like that. So, just, you know, pushing through, um exploring new things, um trying to get on my show and do do different things on the court. I think I’m excited to just kind of try your entire sales. But it doesn’t. You said what? What stood out the most? What stood out the most? I think just a great group of guys, you know, to have as teammates for summer league. Um, I think a lot of teams should get caught up in just learning about themselves and, you know, playing ISO, different stuff. But I think we got a great group of guys that, um, you know, really just want to play the right way and and showcase a good, you know, brand of basketball. Is this just another one of the thousands of practices you’ve had or was there some a different feel to it being in your first sort of NBA practice? Um, it was a little bit of a different feeling. You know, it’s similar when I got to Duke and had my first practice there. you know, it’s just um new environment, new feeling, um being around new people, you know, making those new connections. So, it’s definitely a little bit of a different feeling, but at the end of the day, it is basketball, so it is, you know, another practice. Through your whole draft process and in this whole thing coming to Dallas, was there anybody that reached out or sent love or support to you that you were surprised by or kind of like shocked by it? Uh not not really directly, but um you know, I felt a lot of support from a lot of different people, so I’m just grateful for for all Uh let’s go first. What are the uh expectations heading into summer league and everything? Um I think just getting the guys in and kind of evaluating them. We tried to play a lot especially in practice. You know, let them all play different positions and um as we talked about before, put them in kind of uncomfortable positions and just see how they play together. Uh one of the main points emphasis for all these guys is just be themselves. Uh you know, that’s how they got here. That’s how they are going to make it in the league. Um, so be themselves and see what they do and then we can adjust and coach from there. What in particular are you looking from Cooper? Uh, from Cooper I think the biggest thing with him is just he can do so many different things whether it’s on the ball, off the ball, guarding the basketball, um, being a playmaker. So I think with him it’s just starting simple and letting him kind of play his brand of basketball which fits a lot of different areas and then um, you know, putting him in those uncomfortable spots. you know, having him handle the ball, had him guard the ball in practice, had him guard the bigs, um, you know, putting him in different positions where, uh, we can see what he can do and then go from there. What’s it like for you to have a guy like that with so much talent? Oh man, he’s, uh, I think the number one thing you hear about him and it’s as advertised is just the person he is first and foremost. Uh, he’s one of the first guys in the gym. You know, we’ve had him make him um, sit down on uh, the 4th of July just cuz he wanted to be in here working already. Um, so I think that’s something you see with him first and then the talent obviously is incredible to see him out here. Uh, whether it’s in his individual workouts or with the team, uh, he’s been incredible. So, it’s obviously great to be a part of. What have the conversations been between you and the coaching staff or Nico about the development of Cooper Flag during this time or any other players? Um, you know, they’ve been very basic so far. I mean, it’s just with him trying to see, well, like you said, uh, you know, Jason talked the other day about giving him him the ball and seeing what he can do, especially in this setting. Um, and then we’ll probably go from there, you know, as the season goes on and we start getting closer to training camp. But, uh, as of right now, it’s just been more let him play. And like I said, he can pretty much do everything at this level right now. So, um, put him in those different positions and see how he reacts and then kind of go from there. What were you watching the lottery? You know, what were you thinking when the Maz leaped up to number one? Uh, I think the same as everybody else. You’re very happy. Um, so it was great. It was um obviously when you see that uh you’re supposed to go um I think it was 11 and then all of a sudden you jump out but everybody starts getting excited and then a little bit later you find out you get number one at the kid like Cooper uh it couldn’t be better for everybody here. How many games do you expect him to play? Uh you know talking to those guys I think we’ll take it day by day. Um once we get out to Vegas kind of figure out the schedule and um see how he does um starting with the Lakers and then kind of go from there. Cooper described the style of play and the identity of the Mavs as kind of like positionless basketball. It’s easier said than done. What’s, you know, a formula that you can kind of calculate and put together over summer league to make that successful? I think the one thing is a lot of the guys they’ve brought in have really complemented that style of play. You know, we have multiple guys. A guy like Ryan Nemhard, he can play on and off the basketball. He doesn’t have to just be a point guard to impact the game. You got other guys who are able to have the ball in their hands, you know, make a play one-on-one and then pass once that ball gets into the paint. So, um I think that’s something that’s good. And then on the other side, uh you know, defense is obviously going to be one of our calling cards in summer league and the season. And that’s something where, you know, once we rebound that basketball, we want all five guys to be able to bring that ball up the court and make plays. So, um that’s something starting in summer league, you know, get that on the film, see how it looks, and then we can adjust and see what we have from there. Hard was, you know, getting near 10 assists per game last year at Gonzaga. you know, what do you just think about the decision making and his ability to to run a team when he when he wanted to do that? Um, honestly, he’s been incredible. I had to tell him today, you got to look to score, too. Uh, you know, that’s something that for him, uh, he can set up everybody on the court, but the more he can, you know, make himself a threat first is going to allow him to make all those plays. Even when we get out here, last week we played five on five with some of the vets. He was making all the right plays, all the right reads that guys now are playing him to pass. Um, so I think his IQ and what he can do, especially with a guy like Cooper who’s so talented, they’re already playing really well off each other along, you know, that twoman game. So just kind of encouraging him to be not only a passer and a facilitator, but someone who can score a basketball and get to the spot. So not as big, but can he does he have anything in common with Andrew? Say that again. Not as big, but does he have anything in common with Andrew? You know, I don’t know Andrew, but I can tell you one thing. They’re both tough. Um, so you know, you watch the finals and you see Andrew, you know, guarding Shay and putting his chest on him and fighting through screens. I would say that runs in the family very well. So he’s a very tough kid, especially, like you say, he might not be as big, but um, I’ll go ahead and say he’s tougher than him right now. At least from what I’ve seen. So he’s been a great Yeah. Exact for pound. Exactly right. What does that tell you about Koopa when he loves to play defense as much as he loves to play offense? I think he just loves to play basketball. I think that’s the one thing that you can tell from anything. You know, uh it’s always nice when you’re um you know, one of your top picks is the guy at shooting drills who’s talking to everybody else and encouraging their baskets and you know, we’re doing scramble drills and he wants to be the first one out there. I think he just loves to play and be in the gym. So, it’s um there’s not much to complain about as a coach when the top guy going down is the one who wants to be out there doing the most stuff. Going off that question, what have your initial impressions been of Cooper Flag, not just the basketball player, but the person? Um, like I said, he’s just a great kid. He wants to work. He wants to have fun. You know, competition is something that I think uh he not only enjoys, but he like wants to facilitate and wants to make sure that everybody else is getting the competition. So, that’s something for me when you just see him as a person is he treats everybody amazing and he wants to compete at a high level and then that translates over to the basketball. This may be a simple question, but what type of coach do you want to be in summer league and what do you hope to gain from this experience? Uh, in summer league, I think the biggest thing is just letting these guys uh, you know, show what they can do and we want to put them in the position, but we told them, you know, in college it’s a lot more run this, play, do exactly what I tell you. For us, it’s more let’s see what you guys can do, put you in the spots, being organized, but then, um, you guys are the talented basketball players, go show what you can do. And I think that’s something that these guys have really embraced and with their IQ down the line is something that’s been really, really good for us. Obviously to be the first overall draft pick, you’re kind of cut from a different clock on his work ethic and you know just staying in the lab. Is there somebody maybe a current Maverick or Hall of Fame player that you can kind of compare that work ethic to and like the outlook on how hard he wants to work? Yeah. I mean the one thing with Coupe I think is just he’s his own guy. Like I think that I don’t think he’s necessarily um not speaking for him but he’s not trying to be anybody else with his work ethic. That’s just what he knows and what he does. So, um, from that standpoint, like I think the best place I can compare it to is just Cooper Flag and that’s who he wants to be. You know, you’re around other guys who do the two a days and are in shooting on holidays and on the weekends, everything like that and he’s going to follow all that. But, um, for me, that’s just seeing him work and how he works with that stuff is just really impressive from that standpoint as well. With Cooper and Ryan, y’all have a couple sevenfooters with Musa Cis and Sharp playing. Do you think that Cooper and Ryan’s dynamic with those two bigs is going to help them transition into playing with Gaffford and L? Uh, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, uh, Cooper threw a lob today that almost touched the top of the backboard and Musa dunked it and he was like, “Oh, okay. This is going to be kind of fun.” So, you know, gives him a little more room for air on his lobs and things like that. And I think that’s something, you know, we try to facilitate is um, you know, play to your personnel, play to the people that are on your team. And the more those guys are together, all of a sudden now you can start having fun with what those guys can do. And I think that’s something that will obviously translate into the fall. And then during the pre-draft process during an interview, one thing that Cooper said that one of his favorite plays to make is throw the lob. Could you from what you’ve seen so far in running fives and just in practice, what have you seen out of Cooper as a passer and like you said, um throwing lobs as well? Oh, no. He’s always trying to make the right play. I mean, for him, one of the best things he can do is get in the paint and hope that you will come to help on him because he’ll make the right play every single time. So, I think that’s for him. He actually said today that his lob throwing was something he had to work on. So, if that’s his favorite pass, it’s good to know that he needs to work on a little bit more. But, um, honestly, he’s been really, really good. And with Sharp, uh, with Musa and then the guys this fall, he’ll have a lot of room to throw those things up there and make the right plays. This is going to be Melvin’s second summer. What do you want to see him in terms of? Uh, the one thing that was uh, really impressive to see is he came back bigger and stronger, so obviously he’s been working. Um, you know, I think he shot it pretty well over in France. Um, so just him finding the right spots. You know, when you come over here, it’s a little bit different game. So, you know, you don’t really know where those shots are coming from. Last year, I think he forced it a little bit more on like I got to get my shots up or when to get them versus just get them in the flow of the offense. He seems a lot more comfortable this year of, you know, I know if I get to the corner, I’m going to get open threes or if I do a good job running transition, that’s going to be my time to attack one-on-one. So, that’s something for him is just, you know, being used to playing the style of basketball. And I think coming back this year really helps him with that. with y’all drafting him last year and him playing overseas, was there constant communication between you guys and him as he played overseas and what y’all were looking for out of him? Yeah, for sure. I mean, obviously we’re always going to let the people that are with him dayto-day, but I know like Matt Ricardi does an incredible job of being in communication with those guys and talking to them and um you know, our front office is great at that stuff. So, they kind of handle that more than the coaching staff, but um so I’ll defer to them, but they’re, you know, Matt does a really good job being in communication and you know, we talked before summer league about how his year went and everything like that. So, um they’re always on top of that stuff. Um just talk about Miles and what you’ve seen out of him so far, even though it’s just the first day. Uh I mean, he can shoot the rock. I mean, that’s I think the number one thing for him is, uh, you know, again, he’s trying to find out where those shots are all going to come from. I think the one thing he’s learning is if he gets in the right spot, playmakers can give him the ball. Last week he played with Brandon Williams a lot in the five on five stuff and he was like, man, I don’t have to do anything but just stand there and be ready to shoot. Um those guys are going to create the problem. So, you know, he can move um he can get off the screens, he can play off the catch, he can do all that different stuff, but just for him getting to those spots and being ready to shoot. Obviously, that’s something that he does at a high high level and we want to keep seeing that from him even despite his frame. Like what are some things that may be underrated about him? uh his rebounding. Uh he’s a great athlete and you know we encourage if you get the rebound to push that ball and try to get that thing up the floor with another first three seconds and that’s something that he’s been one of our top guys here in practice and fives last week of getting the ball and bringing up the floor which I don’t think going into summer league I would have been like man he has a great uh handle and pick and roll game and that’s something that he’s shown that it’s been really really good. So uh it’s good to see him down there with the bigs rebounding and taking those away. What makes Ryan such a good passer? I mean, his IQ obviously first and foremost one, he has just such a command of the game and uh command of the floor that he’s always going to have those guys set um you know, where he wants him to be and then he’s already reading that second that third layer of the uh defense before he comes off. So, um I think that’s obviously first and foremost and then again, you know, probably playing with his brother and coming from his family, they, you know, live and eat, breathe basketball. So, that’s something that obviously is not hard to get to for him. Has there been anyone else that stood out to you that you haven’t mentioned yet? Um, you know what, everyone’s done a really good job. Max Lewis has done a really good job being here the last two weeks, you know, with his energy and his ability to shoot the basketball. So, that’s someone who we’re going to look to probably play a lot. Um, you know, the other E10s and Matthew Cleveland and uh Musa that have come in. Those guys have done a really good job of picking up the offense, picking up the defense. Um, Moose has been kicking Quincy AC’s butt here and all the coaches stuff. So, I think that eventually you’re going to see Quincy turn it up a little bit more for him, but that’s kind of one of those things where uh you know, we’ll see if he translates that to summer league, but he’s done a really good job with his activity and his size. Are you allowed to mention the Mavericks that were playing in fives last last week? Uh am I allowed to mention the Mavericks that were playing in fives last week? Um we’ll pass on He will. We already mentioned him, so I let that out of the bag. But, uh, no, we’ve had a lot of guys in and, uh, honestly, we’ve done a really good job of having those guys in the summer and practicing and they’re all ready to go. So, uh, it’s been great. Guys, tell us what what were those backyard one-on-one games with your brother like when you were coming out? They were good. They were fun, you know, super competitive. Um, just enjoyed enjoy playing hoops, enjoyed being competitive as kids. So, uh, learned a lot and then had a lot of fun. What are some of the things that you learned from him that you can improve? Yeah, just I just think just learning the NBA game, being a sponge and learning from the older guys. Um, and as well as just finding your niche niche in the league and understanding what you got to do to get on the floor and make an impact on winning. So, I think that’s that’s the biggest thing I’m loving. Coach Josh mentioned toughness, runs in the family. Is that uh something that showed up on those in those pickup games between you y’all? For sure. For sure. that’s been it’s been in us since we were kids and I think our parents has instilled that in us and um we’ve always had that in us and I think it’s it’s going to be great for me uh going forward. And do you think uh everybody’s talked about your uh uh facilitating able to do that? Is your scoring a little bit overlooked sometimes? Yeah, absolutely. I think I I definitely have the ability to score and sometimes at the college level you’re trying to get wins and you’re going to do whatever you can to to win the game. But I think definitely I have the ability to put the ball on the rim and uh create my own shot when when’s needed. So I think that’s something that I’ll be able to build upon in these next few weeks. How how much were you able to speak with the Mavericks during the pre-draft process and what was it like when you found out you’re going to be signing too? Yeah, I spoke with them a little. You know, my agent kind of handled most of that stuff and um but I I came here I worked out for them and um really liked them and I felt like they had a good interest in me. So super excited to be a Mav. I think it’s I wouldn’t want to be no other place but here. So, um I’m super happy I’m I’m in this position. So, with this first summer league practice, you’re fresh off of signing a two-way deal. What are kind of your initial thoughts on being a Dallas Maverick and what did your first summer league practice look like? Yeah, I think I’m just excited for the opportunity. Excited to be around a bunch of bunch of guys that that that want to get better and want to win and um just excited for the opportunity like I said and the practice was great. High energy coaches were great. Um players were great. So, I’m I’m just excited for it. What was your impression of seeing Cooper Fly? Good, man. He’s a good dude. Super athletic. Um, seems like he understands the game, high energy. Um, I think it’ll be super fun to play with him. Fellow Mber guys. So, I’m excited for that for that connection there a little bit. And with y’all both being known for kind of y’all’s passing and being high IQ guys, how do you see your onc court fit looking like with you and Cooper sharing the floor, not only at Summer League, but potentially next year with Dallas as well? Yeah, I think it’ll be great. you know, guys with high IQ and good feel for the game, uh, figure out how to play with each other pretty quickly. So, I think that’ll be pretty seamless, smooth transition there. Um, he’s super smart and it’ll be it’ll be fun to play out there with him and get the ball rolling. What was it like that your height get brought up all the time and I’m sure in the pre-draft process and you talking and all that and a couple inches of height could have been the difference between getting drafted, not getting drafted potentially. What’s that like to to respond to that? I don’t know, man. I’ve been kind of dealing with it my whole life. So, at the end of the day, I am who I am. It is what it is. I’m not going to grow much more. I’m probably done in that in that sense. So, I’m just looking to to build on this opportunity that I’m getting and um I feel like at a certain point the height won’t be talked about anymore. I think we all just got to roll the ball out and play hoops at the end of the day. So, yeah. Your toughness was mentioned um when we kind of talked to Josh about that. What What kind of mentality do you go into when you’re playing? Yeah, I’m just trying to be a hard-nosed guy that that figures out how to win and how to impact winning for the team, you know? So, I’m going to do whatever it takes for the team, whether that’s got to pick up full court, um get under guys, make it tough on bigger guys, and yeah, just doing whatever it takes to to get wins and and and help our team progress and uh do do big things. Is there anything that you’re looking to grow in confidence during the summer week? Yeah, I think I’m I’m pretty confident, but I think I’m just excited to keep understanding the NBA game and keep learning the game. I think as I learn and figure out new things that that are at this level, I’m I’m only going to get better and only can have a better feel for the game at this level. So, you know, a lot of people talk about your playmaking. How how easy or what’s the adjustment when you’re playing with a group of guys you’ve never played for play with before trying to get the ball? Yeah, I think that’s just a feeling out process, you know? I think that’s what these few days are for. kind of feel fill it up with these guys, get to know where guys want the ball, um how guys like it, pass to them and and what situations you can give guys the ball. So, um that’s what this process is for. It’s obviously a quick turnaround with these games coming up, but uh it’s a learning process and we’re all going to get better as we go. One thing that Josh briefly talked about is he said you ran some fives with some bets last weekend that you were making all the right reads so far here in Dallas. Have there been any veteran players that have reached out to you to try to make your transition to the NBA as smooth as possible? Yeah, I think I think all the guys that were here last week were pretty pretty cool. Um they they all seemed like great dudes and they’re all very welcoming. Obviously, I know uh Dwight a little bit, just a Canadian thing, but um yeah, Jay Hardy was here, PJ was here, Naji, all those guys were were super cool and welcoming. So, um it was fun to get on the court. So, with the White Pal being the longest tender in Maverick, he’s been here for 10 11 years. And you said you played with him on Canada. Who like how would you describe Dwight Pal and what he what y’all’s relationship? I mean I haven’t played with him on Canada but I just know him from the Canada thing. Um don’t have a relationship with him yet but obviously he’s a great he seems like a great dude. Um obviously he’s been here for a long time so the organization probably values him. So just excited to get to know all these guys and build relationships and um as you build relationships onc court things always always get better. So I’m looking forward to it. What players did you try to model your game after growing up? Yeah. Uh, you know, I think I look at some guys like Frean Flee, Kyle Lowry, um, Chris Paul, just guys that understand the game at a high level, have a great feel for it, and understand how to impact winning and play with others. And, um, also lately, I feel like I’ve been looking like looking at guys like uh, Jos Alvarado just defensively, learn how to get under guys and make it tough and be a pest on that end. So, a lot of guys I’ve taken stuff from and um, a lot of guys I think I’ll learn more from. Yeah, obviously my meta too. I big up some for sure. For sure. You mentioned learning the NBA game as an obvious focus, but just what are some of the things from a skill development standpoint that you’re focused on when you’re putting in reps? Yeah, I think I want to continue to to work on my my shooting ability, continue to get better catch and shoot um off the dribble shooting um as well as just being crafty in the lane, mid-range game, floater game, finishing around the bigs um especially in this league with so many big guys. So, uh, just all around game. So, with your three-point shooting numbers going up so much from your third season compared to your fourth, what do you think led to that? And how do you plan to continue that rolling as you get into the NBA? Yeah, I think some mechanical changes. You know, I tweaked some things in my mechanics. Um, as well as just taking the right ones, taking better ones, and not being forced into ones that I don’t want to take. So, um, yeah, just my feel for the game, my understanding of the game at the college level grew grow so grow so grew so much at that level and I think it’s going to continue to to progress as I get more reps with what the Mavs have built, you know, over the last year or so, three future Hall of Famers, uh, a big free agent signing in the offseason. What’s the excitement and buzz like for you guys, you know, with the possibility of of this roster? Yeah, I mean, super excited, especially for like, you know, those guys have been here and they’ve been through seasons and stuff. I’m just excited to be on the court, excited for the opportunity um to to hopefully get on team and impact winning and be able to get on the court. So, I’m sure once those guys are all around, the excitement will be super high and I’m sure the city’s super excited for it. So, uh hopefully it’s it’s a very great year for us. You know, B was just in your position last year and he was able to get a standard contract. Has he been able to give you any advice about what this process is going to be like? Not yet. You know, it’s been just been it’s been early. You know, we haven’t really done too much, but uh I’m sure as the year goes on, I’ll pick his brain a lot and see how he was able to get that and uh learn from him and all the other guys on the squad. What did you learn from watching your brother on the game’s highest stage? Yeah, I think I just learned a lot just watching, you know, just how to impact winning. you know, there’s a lot of things he did to help the team win and um whether that’s guard and and and whether that’s make big shots at times. So, um just a lot, you know, I’ve learned a lot from him my whole life and it’s great to have someone like that you can look up to and and and get some tidbits from. For sure. And then as a point guard, how do you balance between being too passive and being too aggressive at times? Yeah, I think that’s that’s a big thing. You know, I think first you got to always look to score, you know, that’s the main thing. And then once they take away the scoring, you can have those options to pass and get guys good looks. But I think you got to come into games not not not predetermining what you’re going to do and have an open mind and figure it out on the fly as you go. All right.
Go inside Day 1 of Dallas Mavericks Summer League camp as No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, point guard Ryan Nembhard, and head coach Josh Broghamer discuss expectations, team chemistry, and their mindset heading into Las Vegas. Flagg shares how he’s embracing experimentation, Nembhard breaks down his fit and toughness, and Broghamer offers insight into player development and team identity.
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