Richard Jefferson on Kyrie Irving’s Impact on Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have struggled early in the 2025–26 NBA season, holding a 2–5 record despite drafting top rookie Cooper Flagg. The young forward has shown promise but hasn’t yet translated his potential into wins.
According to Richard Jefferson, the situation should improve once Kyrie Irving returns to action. Irving has been sidelined while recovering from an ACL injury suffered last season, leaving a gap at the point guard position that the Mavericks hoped to bridge with D’Angelo Russell’s signing.
“Everyone knew this would be a somewhat difficult start to the season for the Mavericks,” Jefferson remarked, noting that the absence of Kyrie Irving left a major leadership and playmaking void.
Flagg has been asked to take on major ball-handling and scoring responsibilities early on, averaging 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.8% from the field. Jefferson believes Irving’s return will both ease Flagg’s workload and allow him to play more freely within the offense.
“Those numbers could certainly increase with Irving on the court,” Jefferson explained, emphasizing the potential synergy between the veteran guard and the rookie forward.
Summary
Kyrie Irving’s return is expected to boost Cooper Flagg’s performance and restore balance to the struggling Mavericks lineup, according to Richard Jefferson.