Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg are giving Dallas hope: ‘Like watching Picasso paint’
The preseason workouts could prove invaluable when it matters most
T he Dallas Mavericks know talent alone will not carry them through an 82-game season. With expectations rising and several key pieces preparing for larger roles, the franchise appears focused on building something just as important as skill: chemistry. That process has already begun thanks to Kyrie Irving.
The veteran guard recently hosted a series of offseason workouts in Los Angeles , inviting Mavericks teammates to join him ahead of training camp. While the sessions allowed players to sharpen their games before the regular season, they also served a larger purpose—strengthening relationships, establishing trust, and laying the foundation for what Dallas hopes will be a deep postseason run.
For a team built around emerging superstar Cooper Flagg and a returning Irving, those workouts could prove invaluable. Flagg , who captured Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 70 games last season, was among the players who benefited from spending time on the court with the eight-time All-Star.
“Kyrie is obviously one of the greats,” Flagg told reporters. “So just to be able to share the floor with him, learn from him on the fly, and compete with him, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
One of the NBA’s most respected veterans
The comments reveal more than simple admiration. They underscore the importance of Irving’s presence within a Mavericks roster that is blending youth, experience, and championship aspirations. For Flagg, the challenge entering his second NBA season is significantly different from the one he faced as a rookie. Opponents now have a full season of film on him. Defenses will be designed specifically to limit his strengths.
Expectations are higher. Every performance will be scrutinized. That is where Irving’s influence could become especially important. Few guards in league history possess the combination of creativity, ball-handling skill, and offensive imagination that Irving brings to the floor.
Even after spending 19 months recovering from a torn ACL , he remains one of the NBA’s most respected veterans and a player capable of elevating teammates around him. The chemistry-building sessions in Los Angeles offered Dallas an early opportunity to explore what a Flagg-Irving partnership might look like before the games begin to count.
Head coach Dusty May came away impressed by what he witnessed.
“I felt like I was watching Picasso paint a picture,” May said of the interactions between the two stars. That kind of praise reflects the potential Dallas sees in the pairing. Flagg is one of the league’s brightest young talents, while Irving provides the experience of a former champion who has performed on basketball’s biggest stages. Together, they could form one of the NBA’s most intriguing duos.
The Mavericks appear to be taking a long-term view
Still, the Mavericks understand there are legitimate questions that will not be answered until the season starts. Irving is no longer the 31-year-old guard who could rely almost entirely on athletic explosiveness. He enters the campaign at 34 years old and is returning from a lengthy ACL rehabilitation process . While modern sports medicine has extended careers and improved recovery outcomes, there remains uncertainty whenever a veteran player returns from a major injury.
Dallas is betting that Irving’s recovery will allow him to remain a high-level contributor throughout the season. His agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, recently emphasized that the focus has been on ensuring he is fully healthy and positioned to compete for another championship.
The Mavericks appear to be taking the same long-term view. Rather than simply preparing for opening night, they are working to build the connections that could matter most in April, May, and June. That is why the Los Angeles workouts carry significance beyond conditioning drills and pickup games.
Teams often talk about culture and chemistry, but those qualities are developed through shared experiences long before the regular season begins. Players learn each other's tendencies, communicate more naturally, and build confidence in one another.
