Dallas Mavericks Training Camp Notebook: Max Christie Playing With Confidence, Cooper Flagg Earns Praise For Work Ethic

Grant AfsethOctober 5, 2025October 5, 2025no comment

Photo by Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks returned to their practice facility Sunday for their first on-court session in Texas following a week of training camp in Vancouver, where the focus centered on conditioning, chemistry, and implementing a faster offensive system under assistant coach Jay Triano.

Sunday’s practice marked the fourth since opening camp and came less than 24 hours before the team’s preseason opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena. The Mavericks continued to experiment with lineup combinations and rotations while maintaining the competitive tone that has defined the early part of camp.

Head coach Jason Kidd praised Max Christie for his consistency and growing confidence, noting the young guard’s strong play on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, coaches and teammates continued to commend Cooper Flagg for his attention to detail and willingness to stay late for skill work, a reflection of his emerging reputation for elite work habits.

The session also featured another round of Blue and White scrimmages, offering further insight into the team’s rotation battles. Players such as Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis, and D’Angelo Russell were all part of various combinations as the Mavericks continued evaluating depth and versatility ahead of the preseason slate.

Max Christie Building on Breakout Season

After averaging 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 32 games for Dallas last season, Max Christie has carried that momentum into training camp. His confidence, consistency, and two-way effort have stood out through the first week, earning strong praise from the coaching staff.

“Doing what he’s doing in training camp,” Kidd said. “He’s played at a very high level on both ends of the floor. If he can keep that up, he’s going to be a big plus for us.”

Kidd said Christie’s versatility has been a defining trait, allowing him to fit seamlessly with different lineup combinations. He added that Christie could fill multiple roles depending on game situations.

“We can talk about the ball handling and the shooting, but you can see his confidence is at a very high level,” Kidd said. “We’ve got to keep him in that space because his confidence is extremely high, and he’s playing at a very high level for us.”

Confidence has been the most visible change in Christie’s game since joining Dallas. Kidd said the second-year guard’s improved poise has elevated his overall impact.

“We can talk about the ball handling and the shooting, but you can see his confidence is at a very high level,” Kidd said. “We’ve got to keep him in that space because he’s playing at a very high level for us.”

Christie said the benefit of his first full offseason and training camp with the team has made a difference in how comfortable he feels within the system.

“Comfort’s important,” he said. “Like you said, being here now for my first training camp and getting through that, going into preseason and the regular season makes a world of difference from a comfort standpoint. If you’re comfortable, you’re probably going to perform a lot better. It’s my first training camp and first full offseason in Dallas, and I feel a lot more comfortable with the system, the guys, and the coaching staff. I feel poised to have a pretty good season for us.”

Competition and Conditioning Continue to Define Camp

With a deep roster and balanced mix of veterans and young players, the Mavericks’ practices have remained highly competitive. Kidd said that intensity has been a valuable part of the team’s preparation and will help make regular-season games easier.

“There is no drop-off,” Kidd said. “The white team believes they can start. The competition and the chirping are at a very high level, and that’s what’s going to help us as we go forward. The games will hopefully be easier because of the competition we have here in practice.”

The team continues to adapt to Triano’s offensive system, which places greater emphasis on pace and decision-making. Kidd said the faster tempo has already improved the team’s conditioning.

“The conditioning aspect of our offense is going to help us because we’re playing faster,” he said. “It’s been really, really good up to this point.”

Kidd also credited assistant coach Frank Vogel’s transition from an advisory role to the bench as a major addition.

“It’s been great,” Kidd said. “We’re lucky to have him — not just me, but the Mavs as a whole — because of his knowledge. He’s a champion, he understands what it takes to win, so we’re very lucky to have him.”

Along with Kyrie Irving (ACL surgery), Daniel Gafford (ankle sprain) remained out on Sunday but is progressing toward a return. Kidd said everyone else participated.

Lineup Rotations Take Shape

Sunday’s practice featured several lineup adjustments as the coaching staff continues to evaluate combinations ahead of the preseason opener. Klay Thompson spent significant time with the Blue team, while P.J. Washington worked primarily with the White team, reversing the alignment used before the team departed Vancouver.

Frequent fixtures on the Blue team have included Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, and Dereck Lively II, creating one of the more intriguing frontcourt units in camp. The mix of size and defensive versatility has stood out during scrimmages.

The point guard rotation also shifted. Ryan Nembhard ran with the Blue team during Saturday’s session in Vancouver, but D’Angelo Russell took over that role Sunday after the team returned to Dallas. Kidd said such variation is intentional as the staff looks to build chemistry and flexibility across the roster.

The Mavericks continue to evaluate various combinations ahead of solidifying a set starting lineup for opening night. The team’s preseason competition will provide film to further this process.

P.J. Washington and Max Christie Emphasize Chemistry

The Mavericks’ week in Vancouver offered valuable time to establish rhythm and trust within the group. P.J. Washington said the time away from Dallas helped players focus on communication and familiarity.

“It was a good week of being able to see everybody on the floor together,” Washington said. “We got some good sets in, good runs, and I think everybody’s excited to start the season. Guys are healthy and ready to go.”

Christie pointed to the offense’s spacing and pace as early strengths, emphasizing how the system’s flow allows multiple players to initiate actions and make quick reads. He said the team’s balance of creators and finishers has made it easier to stay unpredictable and attack in different ways.

“Yeah, I’d say play with pace and play with speed,” Christie said. “That makes a lot of our actions more lethal for defenses. We have a lot of good vertical spacing, so we want to utilize that with our bigs. Like P.J. said, with our personnel, we’ve got guys who can really create. We’re playing off of each other — not forcing things, just flowing within the game. We’re using each other’s strengths to our advantage and scoring that way.”

Both players said Anthony Davis has been central to that offensive flow, particularly when initiating sets from the elbow or operating in dribble handoffs. His ability to read defenses and draw double teams, they said, has opened up opportunities for shooters and cutters alike.

“He brings a lot of attention,” Washington said. “You have to send a double, and it opens up the game for us with threes, cuts, and mismatches on the backside. He’s a very unselfish player, so he’s going to make the right play every time and put pressure on defenses.”

Christie said Davis’ versatility allows others to simplify their own reads and make quicker decisions within the offense.

“Like P.J. said, A.D. causes problems anywhere he is on the floor,” Christie said. “Teams key in on him, so there’s always a lot of help and doubles. For us as off-ball players, we can create off that — playing out of closeouts, catch-and-shoot, driving and kicking, or scoring. It puts us in easy positions to make quick decisions. A.D.’s presence gives us a lot of reads, and we work on those all the time.”

Beyond Davis’ impact, both players said the Mavericks’ overall depth has elevated the intensity of practice and forced each unit to execute with greater precision. Washington said having balanced groups on both sides of scrimmages has kept the energy consistent.

“It’s great,” Washington said. “We get a lot better in practice because we always have guys going at each other. During the season, it’ll be easier to keep doing the same things with both groups. We’ve got great shot-blockers, great defenders, and great all-around players. Both groups can run the same stuff, stay aggressive, and stay locked in on details every night.”

Christie said that daily competition has been one of the team’s defining characteristics and something players have embraced collectively.

“There’s a confidence level for us as a team knowing we have two groups that can compete and play at a high level — really anybody on the team,” he said. “That gives us confidence and strikes fear into opposing teams. Our starting five is great, and then you look at our bench — I think we’re probably the deepest team in the league. There’s no drop-off, and we trust each other and the coaching staff to put us in the best positions to succeed.”

Cooper Flagg’s Work Ethic Draws Praise

Rookie forward Cooper Flagg has continued to make a strong impression with his attention to detail and daily approach. Team sources have described his work ethic as “relentless” to DallasHoopsJournal.com.

Earlier in training camp, assistant coach Josh Broghamer worked with Flagg on developing his post game, focusing on using contact to establish early position, attacking out of faceups, and leveraging counters such as a turnaround jumper. Flagg’s timing was a clear focus to maximize advantages.

After Sunday’s practice, Flagg remained on the court for shooting work with Mike Penberthy and Broghamer. Penberthy focused on tightening Flagg’s mechanics, using a towel to help keep his elbow closer to his shot pocket at the free-throw line. The refinement has extended beyond the arc, where Flagg worked on improved alignment and reduced his tendency to flare his elbow outward.

The Mavericks will open their preseason schedule Monday night at Dickies Arena against the Thunder.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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