Even with Cooper Flagg's double-double in his NBA debut, the Dallas Mavericks couldn't best their in-state rivals, the San Antonio Spurs.
Behind Flagg's 10 points and 10 rebounds, the Mavs lost by a jaw-dropping 32 points in their first game of the regular season, and the former Duke Blue Devil turned No. 1 overall draft pick knows that both he and his team can do more.
Despite the double-double, many people were disappointed by Flagg's debut, expecting a better all-around performance from the player who has been compared to the all-time greats like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.
After the loss, Flagg knew that more was expected of him and his teammates, but he was also ready to close the chapter on his first NBA regular-season game and look toward his upcoming game.
"Not great," Flagg said about his performance. "Obviously, didn't play incredibly well, but we've got to move past it, turn our focus and start looking toward Friday [against the Washington Wizards]."
What went wrong in Cooper Flagg's NBA debut?
Last year's NBA Rookie of the Year and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle also broke down Flagg's rookie debut as someone who earned 20 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in his first NBA game.
"[Flagg] didn't shoot the ball well, but he seemed a lot more poised than I thought he would be," Castle said. "I mean, my first game, I was out there nervous. He made some good reads. He didn't seem too rattled, so I think he'll have a great year."
Even with 10 points to his name, Flagg shot just 30.8 percent from the field and missed his only shot attempt from beyond the arc. Two of his points came at the charity stripe, shooting 100 percent on his free throw attempts.
Flagg didn't necessarily have a bad game, but it was a far cry from the lofty expectations that were placed on the rookie's shoulders. Most notably, he set the NBA record as the youngest-ever player to earn a double-double in their debut.