By John Ezekiel Hirro

Copyright sportskeeda

During his Duke stint, Cooper Flagg cemented himself as the No. 1 pick thanks to his standout two-way game, using his size to score on one end and protect the rim on the other. Now with the Dallas Mavericks, he’s part of a defensive frontcourt that also features Anthony Davis.Early in training camp, clips surfaced showing Flagg swatting shots from teammates, including Davis, while also knocking down buckets on offense.After Wednesday’s second day of camp, where the Mavericks focused heavily on sharpening their defensive identity, Davis praised the rookie’s presence on that end of the floor.“He looks comfortable,” Davis said (per Dallas Hoops Journal). “He can block shots and he can jump, he can rebound. He can defend one through five.”Davis added that Cooper Flagg carries himself with a veteran-like poise and encouraged him not to hesitate when directing teammates.“I told him today in practice, we were doing a drill, and he was hesitant about kicking the guy out, and I said, ‘You’re very great defensively, where you have the ability to grab him and throw him and tell him to get to his position.’“And we’ve got to be able to do that, not just because he’s a rookie, but because we want to win.”Cooper Flagg focusing on defensive communicationAnthony Davis is pushing Cooper Flagg to be more vocal defensively, and the rookie acknowledged it’s an area he’s working to improve.In an interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Kelly Iko on Wednesday, Flagg said communication is one of his biggest priorities.”The communication and dedication to playing hard and doing it on both ends,” Flagg said. “Having five guys on the court communicating with each other and (buying) in to get stops on every possession. It’s different terminology, you just gotta get accustomed to it.”Sometimes I mess up and say an old terminology I used at Duke. But if you say something, it’s better than saying nothing and just letting your teammate know where you are. Any communication is good.”Last season, the Mavericks ranked just 20th in defensive rating. With a full year of Anthony Davis paired with the rookie Flagg anchoring the frontcourt, and with Kyrie Irving sidelined, Dallas is expected to make defense a top priority and potentially transform into a stingy unit.The Mavericks have several players considered plus defenders, including Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and Caleb Martin.