There’s something strangely analytical about the way Cooper Flagg moves. Not just in how he plays, but in how he reads the game. Every decision feels calculated, every step deliberate. At 18, that kind of composure is rare, yet Flagg carries it seamlessly in Dallas. Behind the relaxed demeanor is a player treating basketball like a classroom long before his first NBA paycheck, all while averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 48.1% shooting last season at Duke.

And that’s exactly where Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and even Lauri Markkanen come in. According to Matt MacKenzie, a key member of Flagg’s inner circle, the rookie’s summer has been a thorough analysis of the details of their craft. “He really is somebody who’s a visual learner, and so we’ve spent some time doing that this summer,” MacKenzie told All Things Mavs. “If he’s got the ball in his hands, we just want to make sure that he’s always confident and ready to attack a spot and make a play.”

MacKenzie explained how the group’s film sessions have drawn from a range of styles. “We’ve studied Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving angles, worked a lot on the footwork and balance that Kevin Durant puts into his game, and Jayson Tatum is somebody who he’s studied a lot of,” he said. The list goes beyond stars as Flagg has even looked at Markkanen’s landing balance after threes. “He’s a student of the game,” MacKenzie added. “He wants to be better, and he’s going to do whatever it takes to get there.”

Now, that film obsession isn’t random, but it’s rather foundational. Durant’s controlled rhythm, Tatum’s measured pace, SGA’s fearless drives… well, all of it builds a framework for a player who’s already more technician than teenager. And when the Mavericks’ name popped up on NBA lottery night, that foundation suddenly had a home. MacKenzie recalled the moment with a grin. Dallas had just a 1.8% chance of landing the top lottery pick, and Flagg’s camp hadn’t even discussed the Mavericks as a destination.

“We were told not to show much emotion on camera,” MacKenzie said. “When Dallas got called as No. 1, we just side-eyed each other and smirked.” Behind the cameras, though, they celebrated. Dallas offered everything they wanted from a stable organization, a championship-ready roster, and a superstar in Kyrie Irving to learn beside. For Flagg, Dallas is the lab.

The Mavericks’ roster means he won’t be forced into savior mode. Instead, he gets to develop around Irving and Davis, refine his instincts, and apply the hours of film to live possessions. His rookie contract, projected at roughly $28.3 million in the first two years, represents a long-term bet on growth, not just production. The praise from his idols hasn’t hurt either.

Cooper Flagg’s NBA study habits might be his superpower

Back in 2024, Kevin Durant, now a Houston Rocket, said of Flagg: “He looked like a hell of a player. Somebody that’s going to only get better with more experience.” Then came the nod from Jayson Tatum, who re-shared a photo with Flagg after the draft, which, by the way, is a symbolic passing of the torch. Flagg later admitted that Tatum’s the matchup he’s most looking forward to.

“That’s somebody that I watched a lot at Duke and then watched a lot again as he went on to the Celtics,” he said. It’s a duel that might take time as Tatum’s Achilles injury will likely sideline him this season, but the anticipation is already accounted for. The student and the template, bound to meet eventually. And by then, the version of Flagg we see might be entirely different from the rookie now walking into Dallas.

And well, maybe that’s the whole point. Every driving lane from SGA, every balance cue from Durant, every pace change from Tatum are all ingredients. MacKenzie calls Flagg a “visual learner,” a “student of the game,” but perhaps it’s more than that. He’s a pattern absorber, constantly piecing together how stars sustain greatness across eras. Most 18-year-olds entering the league dream of All-Star games and endorsement deals. Flagg?

He’s rewinding film, trying to understand how Durant controls deceleration or why Tatum plants off his right foot on curls. It’s the kind of obsession that turns raw talent into polished dominance. For Dallas, that mindset is a dream fit. They don’t need him to be their long-lost Luka.

They need him to be the version of himself that understands how to elevate others the same way he’s studying those who mastered that art. Every film session, every late-night breakdown, is another step toward that future. So while others post their offseason highlights, Cooper Flagg’s likely in a quiet gym somewhere, pausing a clip of Durant mid-fadeaway and whispering, “Okay… let’s try that again.”

Because that’s how legacies are built in silence before the rest of the world starts watching.