Versatility is the word most often attached to Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg as he begins his NBA journey.

Cooper Flagg entered the NBA with the kind of résumé that usually leads to rebuilding projects. Instead, the No. 1 pick finds himself on a Dallas Mavericks team stocked with veterans, playoff aspirations, and, in his view, endless ways to contribute.

“The expectations lie within myself,” Flagg said. “It’s just about being myself, really, and not changing for anybody. Obviously, impacting the game in a lot of different ways and doing everything I can to impact winning at a high level.”

The rookie wing said he intends to adapt to whatever role is needed, whether that means rebounding, defending, or even handling the ball as a point forward. He pointed to Dallas’ depth as an opportunity to lean into versatility.

“It doesn’t really matter who gets it off the rim,” Flagg said. “Just get it and go and push it and initiate offense.”

Veterans have already noticed how quickly the 18-year-old is blending in. Anthony Davis recalled learning of the Mavericks’ improbable lottery win — they had just a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick — and said Flagg has lived up to the buzz.

“He’s a helluva talent,” Davis said. “He can do everything on the floor. He looks comfortable. He can block shots, he can rebound, he can defend one through five. We have enough confidence in him to go out and guard those guys.”

Klay Thompson, who enters his second season in Dallas, echoed that sentiment but emphasized Flagg’s attitude as much as his skill.

“What I love most about Coop is he’s perceptive to information and he wants to work,” Thompson said. “When you’ve got those two ingredients, combined with the athleticism he has, he can be as good as he wants to be.”

P.J. Washington described his approach to helping the teenager adjust as more personal.

“I just feel like I can be a mentor to Cooper and just help him as much as I can,” Washington said. “Obviously, he’s 18, so I just try to be a bigger brother. He makes me feel old all the time. I think he called me ‘uncle’ a couple of times. He brings a lot of joy and youth as well.”

Flagg said he has already leaned on Dallas’ veterans for guidance, particularly players who once shared the pressure of being top overall picks.

“Obviously, they’re some of the best vets in the league right now, some of the most experienced guys,” Flagg said of Davis and Kyrie Irving. “Having this opportunity to learn from them … it’s been really good for me to just learn so much from them and try and pick their brains.”

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said the rookie made a strong impression from the opening session at Simon Fraser University.

“He made a lot of the right plays,” Kidd said. “He was handling the ball, playing without the ball. He understands how to play the game at a very, very high level and I thought his energy was great.”

Though Flagg acknowledged that adapting to NBA terminology has been one of the early challenges, he insisted that communicating is what matters most.

“Sometimes I mess up and say old terminology I used at Duke,” he said. “But at the end of the day if you say something it’s better than saying nothing. Just let your teammates know where you are.”

While the Rookie of the Year award is on his radar, Flagg said winning will always come first.

“We obviously want to win a championship, so that’s a big thing,” he said. “If I can stay true to who I am and what got me here, I think any other personal goals will work themselves out.”

For Dallas, securing the top pick was a stroke of fortune. For Flagg, it is the start of a journey where he believes impact can come from anywhere on the court.