Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg scored 45 points in a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, largely attributed his growth to his decision to start the season as a point guard. Lakers star LeBron James defended head coach Jason Kidd from criticism, stating that it was unfair to start him at point guard and allow him to grow faster than other players. Flagg had previously been the primary ball-handler in Dallas, where star point guard Kyrie Irving was recovering from a torn ACL. After being moved back to his natural forward position, Flagg has since improved significantly.