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Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks were back on the win column following Saturday's 111-105 victory over the Washington Wizards. Flagg struggled with his shot and confirmed after the game that it was the most physicality he had seen against him so far. Speaking to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Flagg discussed making the adjustments to the physicality of the NBA. He is always preparing himself for it every game, and it helps to have veterans like PJ Washington and Naji Marshall for advice. "Everybody's gonna be physical with you, so if you're not ready to kind of use your bump and play physicality yourself, you really can't get anywhere," Flagg said. "Just learning that, it's been great to be alongside PJ and Naji, two dynamic wings that use their bodies so well, getting to the rim and using that physicality. Obviously, I learned so much from them already in those areas."For the third straight game, Cooper Flagg has started in his natural position of small forward. The Dallas Mavericks have a record of 1-2 in those games, and it's a continuous learning experience for the No. 1 pick of the draft. Flagg also had to adjust once again since he began the season as the starting point guard due to coach Jason Kidd's plan to put the Duke product in uncomfortable situations. However, it has backfired, as the Mavericks started the season 2-7 before Saturday's win. The 18-year-old forward is averaging 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He's shooting just 40.4% from the field, including 28.6% from beyond the arc, so there's still a lot of room for improvement. Dirk Nowitzki offers advice to Cooper FlaggDirk Nowitzki offers advice to Cooper Flagg. (Photo: IMAGN)Following the Dallas Mavericks' 118-104 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, Dirk Nowitzki offered some advice to Cooper Flagg. Nowitzki wants Flagg to continue working on his game and keep his chin up amid his struggles. The Hall of Famer knows a thing or two about it since he didn't have a great rookie season. "︀︀Cooper, I would just keep on working," Nowitzki said, according to Sports Illustrated. "I mean, I know you have a tremendous work ethic, so you work your way through it. You come in the next day, you're the first one in the gym, you get shots up, get with the assistant coach, watch film, and you just get better."Flagg is only 10 games into his NBA career, so he's got a lot of time to work on his game, especially on the offensive end.
