Even before he stepped on the court, the Mavs’ Cooper Flagg had been widely considered a lock for 2025-26 Rookie of the Year. But the game is played on the court, which means we need to take a look at Flagg’s former teammate, the Hornets’ Kon Knueppel.
Cooper Flagg has had an amazing rookie campaign, leading all rookies with an average of 20.3 points (29th overall), along with solid averages of 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. With 20+ points, six+ rebounds, and more than four assists, Flagg is set to join rare company, the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Sidney Wicks, and, most recently, Luka Doncic.
Yet with all the accolades, Flagg is in a tight race with Duke counterpart and good friend, Kon Knueppel, for this year’s award. Kon Knueppel has had his foot on the gas since game one, averaging 18.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Knueppel has been otherworldly with the Hornets in his debut season, crushing the previous rookie record for 3-pointers in a season.
Before Knueppel’s remarkable onslaught, Keegan Murray registered 206 3’s in 2022-23 (in 80 games), surpassing Donovan Mitchell’s record of 187 in 2017-18. Not only has Kneuppel broken the record, but he has also surpassed it in just 59 games and, in the process, become both the youngest and quickest player ever to reach 250+ 3-pointers.
He currently sits at 257 (75 games), which has helped the once-struggling Charlotte Hornets climb out of the Eastern Conference basement and secure a berth in the Play-In tournament. As of March 30, Charlotte (39-36) is only half a game behind Orlando (39-35) for the eighth seed and two games out of the seventh seed, currently held by the Philadelphia 76ers (41-34).
Regardless of where the Hornets eventually seed, the Hornets’ success has helped turn the tide in Knueppel’s favor, making him the frontrunner for the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award.
Photo courtesy Dallas Morning News
And then there’s Cooper Flagg. At 19 years old, Flagg has already displayed traits of greatness and seems destined to be a perennial All-Star. The Mavericks clearly believe they can build a team around him, and they have already started that rebuild.
And although Jason Kidd’s early-season finagling wasn’t ideal, it was a great learning experience that clearly helped enhance Flagg’s game. It’s easy to forget that he’s still only 19 years old.
Photo courtesy NBC News
The amazing thing is that both Flagg and Knueppel are doing amazing things at their age. That being said, only one player can win. Although my choice is Cooper Flagg (Bias Alert: I’m from Maine), Knueppel has played 74 games, whereas Flagg has played only 63. The eight-game stretch of missed games came at a time when Knueppel stepped it up, putting it mildly, flirting with the 50% from the field/40% from beyond the arc/90% at the charity stripe club, a performance trifecta that enhanced his status as NBA ROY.
Although Flagg is back in the lineup, the question is whether he is playing well enough to surpass Knueppel for the award.
My take? Flagg hasn’t so far. That said, you can’t count out Cooper Flagg until the final whistle is blown. Smart money says he’ll go off multiple times and give Kneuppel a run to the finish.
What do you think?
