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Cooper Flagg suffers shoulder injury, Southwest Division roundup
Cooper Flagg hurts his shoulder in a Mavericks win in Indiana, while the Pelicans and Spurs are already dealing with injuries and rotation tweaks.
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Mavericks win in Indiana, but Cooper Flagg goes down
The Southwest Division day was headlined by the Dallas Mavericks, who took a 121-105 road win over the Indiana Pacers. The victory evens Dallas’ early record at 1-1, but it came with a potentially costly setback as Cooper Flagg left with an injury.
According to CBS Sports, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year injured his shoulder on a flagrant foul by Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith on Friday night. Hoops Rumors specifies that Flagg hurt his left shoulder late in the second quarter on a fast-break play, which forced him out of the game. CBS Sports notes that the Mavericks took exception to the foul and got into it with Nesmith after the play. No details have been reported on the severity of Flagg’s injury, leaving his status as the main storyline to watch in Dallas.
Pelicans: Yves Missi undergoing tests on left knee
In New Orleans, the Pelicans’ rough 0-2 start is compounded by injury concerns in the frontcourt. Hoops Rumors reports that third-year big man Yves Missi is being evaluated for a left knee injury.
Per Hoops Rumors, Missi went down about halfway through the second quarter of Friday’s eventual loss to the Utah Jazz, on a sequence where Zion Williamson had his shot blocked. No timetable or diagnosis has been made public so far, but the situation adds another question mark for a Pelicans team still searching for its first win.
Spurs experiment with guards as Rockets, Grizzlies roll
The San Antonio Spurs (0-2) are already tweaking their rotation. As relayed by Hoops Rumors, their new three-guard starting lineup had mixed results in Tuesday’s season opener, with the biggest concern being its ripple effects on the rest of the roster. Second-year guard Dylan Harper replaced Julian Champagnie in the starting five, raising questions about balance and roles across the rotation.
In a separate overview from Hoops Rumors, the Spurs are listed among 17 teams that opened the season with just 14 players on standard contracts, keeping one standard roster spot open. Elsewhere in the division, the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies are out to strong 2-0 starts, while the Pelicans and Spurs sit at 0-2. At 1-1, Dallas already finds its next steps tied closely to the health of Cooper Flagg.