Mavericks have already made their stance on Cooper Flagg crystal clear

On the night of February 1, everything changed for the Dallas Mavericks and their fans. Not only would Nico Harrison and the Mavericks trade franchise savior Luka Doncic on little to no notice for virtually nothing in return besides Anthony Davis, but just months later, the Mavericks rebounded by winning the NBA's draft lottery and selecting Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick.

There's no doubt that Flagg's arrival has shifted the Mavericks' focus to not only stay competitive now but also in the future around a potential player who could emerge as the face of the league in a few seasons. Flagg has always possessed the tools to be great for a long time, but in Dallas, he will be asked to play an uncomfortable role with the ball in his hands.

All signs indicate that Flagg will largely be asked to run Dallas' offense. At the same time, Kyrie Irving remains sidelined, and while that may sound like a disaster for a team looking to compete for an outside shot at winning a championship, this may be the best thing for Flagg and his career. Throughout his collegiate career, Flagg has consistently played the power forward or three spot while at Duke; however, in Dallas, he may have the potential to emerge as a two-guard or, more likely, a small forward who can handle the rock under Jason Kidd.

Mavericks have already made it clear they want Flagg at the two or three

Dallas has sent a message to the league after trading Doncic that they want to play big and physical. With this in mind, the Mavericks have loaded up the frontcourt and will likely start Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford at the five spot, while Davis mans the power forward position in the starting lineup.

While this might sound like a disaster for the Mavericks' offense, as spacing will become a major concern, the Mavericks are indicating that they want to punish teams down low by also having Flagg at the small forward spot. This not only leaves Dallas with their smallest player in the front court, being 6-foot-9, but this will ultimately force Flagg to have the ball in his hands and be creative when picking his spots to work his offense.

Dallas' backcourt will feature D'Angelo Russell at the starting guard spot and Klay Thompson at the two guard; however, if Kidd feels more comfortable with the ball in Flagg's hands over Thompson's, Flagg could very well take over the shooting guard position on some nights.

Until Irving returns from his torn ACL, Kidd will likely throw Flagg into the fire in just about any position he deems necessary. Giving Flagg the tools to not only compete and be special now is important for making him the franchise player every basketball fan thinks he can become.

While Flagg is most comfortable playing the four, and he still could have a shot at playing off the ball in Dallas' reserve lineup, barring some injuries, the Mavericks are forcing Flagg to become a shooting guard or even small forward outside of just this season's starting lineup.

Not only would Flagg getting comfortable with the ball in his hands just make him a more versatile player, but it may be necessary if the Mavericks feel he has the potential to emerge as Dallas' shooting guard of the future.