No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg revealed an interesting method of preparation for his rookie NBA season, using NBA 2K26 to help him simulate the upcoming campaign.
Flagg comes as one of the most highly touted college players in years, having no tangible weaknesses listed in his scouting report.
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The Dallas Mavericks lucked into the top pick in the draft despite having long odds, and he provides the organization with a building block that replaces Luka Doncic as the long-term focal point.
The Mavs are currently in limbo since the team is full of highly-paid veterans who want to win now, while also having Flagg and his development to take into account.
Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Kyrie Irving are all firmly in their primes or in the latter stages of their best.
Flagg is being thrown right into the fire with high expectations not only placed on his performance, but on the team as well.
To prepare for the pivotal season, Flagg told Ronnie Singh, the digital director of NBA 2K, that he is getting a feeling for how he can play on the Mavs roster in the video game.
“I’ve been talking to Cooper Flagg a lot the last couple of weeks, and he’s already trying to shape up how he’s going to fit into that team by playing the NBA2K26 game with him, integrated with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis,” Singh told Heavy Sports’ Alder Almo.
“He might not get to play with Kyrie for a minute, so it’s kind of cool that he gets to simulate that, see how the off-the-ball movement is. Our AI is so good. It really simulates the authentic experience of being on the court.”
What Position is Cooper Flagg Going to Play on the Mavericks?
During the NBA Summer League, Flagg played as a playmaker, handling the ball a reasonable amount and testing his ability to create his own offense at a high volume.
He played in two games, averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in 31.4 minutes of playing time.
The Mavs won’t have Irving for most, if not the entire season, as he recovers from an ACL injury.
The team needs a guard, but Flagg will not take on a point guard role. Instead, he is expected to play a small forward role on the wing.
His best position in the NBA is likely at power forward, but with Davis asking to play at that spot, Flagg will be forced to acquiesce.
Davis is not interested in playing center, considering the physicality required, and the team already has Derek Lively and Gafford at the center spot.
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