Mar 04, 2026
3 min read
The ROY race is hotter than ever.
The careers of Cooper Flagg and Kon Knuppel will be constantly connected throughout their time in the NBA.That will happen when you have two friends who are good friends, college friends, top 5 and both on the water of the NBA revolution.The perception of these two players could not be more different when they were selected in the 2026 NBA Draft, but as we sit here in March, it has turned into one of the tightest one-year contests in NBA history.
Why Kon Knueppel deserves NBA Rookie of the Year but Cooper Flagg could still take it
The ROY race is hotter than ever.
Flagg was anointed with wisdom from the jump. Was probably born in the United States. The most highly touted since LeBron. James is a can't-miss talent. Ready to change the franchise And there's very little argument that he didn't live up to the Mavericks' billing as a mediocre team. Still dealing with the disaster of the Luka Doncic trade — but Flagg is the bright spot — Dallas' goal this season isn't the playoffs. But coach Jason Kidd leaves many methods to Flaggused to give him the agency to become a more complete player in the future.
Flagg would walk away with the Rookie of the Year award with little opposition if this were a normal season, but the call comes from within.Kon Knueppel has been the NBA's most surprising player, on the league's most surprising team, changing the face of the Charlotte Hornets franchise in a way no one expected.Instead of being a helper, stick guy or shooter who would be additive but not transformative, Knueppel has instead become a defender and culture changer for a Hornets team that is climbing the ranks to find itself in playoff sports, with aspirations that they can finish even higher and make a legitimate playoff run.
By every tangible measure, Kon Knueppel should be the NBA's premier of the year.The only thing standing in his way is the weight of expectation on Flagg, and Flagg must earn the reward as the building block of his ultimate legacy.The truth is that Kon was as good as Flagg was.
Raw numbers
If we take out all the nuances of the performance of both players, it would be easy to predict that a typical scorer will be better than Knueppel this season.
Cooper Flagg: 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists
Kon Knueppel: 19.3 pts, 5.5 reb, 3.5 ast
It was close, but Flagg's numbers were higher, no argument.Knuepel has the potential to increase his totals, while Flagg has the potential for even more — unless he's sidelined with injury, which is a real concern.The difference between these two players really shines when we go inside these basic numbers to adjust for each player's performance.
What the advanced statistics say
This is where Knuppel blows Flagg out of the water, and as a result, they're barely even.Knuppel shoots better in all areas, 48.9 FG%, 44.0 3P% and 87.8 FT% to Flagg's 48.2/30.2/80.4 - but the modern metrics are even more telling.
When it comes to true shooting percentage (TS%), which takes threes, twos and three-pointers into account to provide an overall picture of shooting efficiency, there's been no one in the NBA this season like Kon Neupel.He ranks 14th in the NBA in TS% at 65.1.For comparison, Cooper Flagg is 140th in the league at 51.5%.
Additionally, Knuppel leads the NBA in 3P% among the 23 players who have attempted more than 400 shots from the arc this season.Only two other players in the league have shot more than 40 percent on more than 400 attempts: Colin Gillespie of the Suns (42.3 percent) and Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Pistons (40.3 percent). To put that into perspective, Stephen Curry, the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history, just shot more than 44 percent from three for 400 shots in his career—Knoeple did that as a rookie.to give
The three-pointer is an incredible part of Knueppel's resume, as he broke the single-season record for three-pointers made by a rookie in 59 games.At this point, his record will be stretched to the end.It's a trap to assume that shooting is all Knueppel has going for him, which is painfully far from the truth.Not only is he putting up elite numbers, but he's helping the Hornets win games in a big way.
Knuepel ranks 21st in the NBA in wins with +6.1, almost on par with Victor Vembanyam 'Tottenham' (+6.2) and ahead of Anthony Edwards (+5.8).While Flagg is still having an impressive year, his +3.2 win share ranks 111th.
You can go down the list of advanced stats and Knueppel is beating Flagg this season.Flagg is getting better every game as the Mavericks make him the focal point of their entire offense, but Kneupel has more of an impact on the game with the opportunities he provides.
Player |TS% |WS |OFF +/- |DEF +/- |EPM |Active Position |
|Cooper Flagg |%56 |3.2 |0,1 |-0,5 |-0,4 |198 |
|Kon Konpil |65.20% |6.1 |3.1 |0 |3 |30 |
What is the argument against Knueppel?
The main argument for putting Flagg as Rookie of the Year over Knueppel comes back to expectations this season.The Mavericks run their entire offense through Flagg, and while that gives him plenty of experience being "the guy" in the NBA, it also hurts his effectiveness.Meanwhile, Knueppel is a piece of a bigger puzzle in Charlotte.On any given night, the second or third scoring option behind Brandon Miller, and sometimes LaMelo Ball.It is certainly true that the biggest difference between the Hornets winning and losing is Knueppel as the offensive support option, but he is not required to carry the burden.
It affects perception, which is impossible to ignore.It's part of the eye test of watching two players on the field without delving into the stats.Any improved metric could prove that Knueppel was the better player, but turn the game on and Flagg looks like the centerpiece of the team while Kon looks like a piece of the puzzle.
The NBA Rookie of the Year race is winding down.A mid-foot injury sidelined Flagg and may have been a factor in the race, but when the dust settles, the Rookie of the Year arguments will be fans' bragging rights and nothing more.The general view is that the two former Duke teammates could lead the NBA in different ways, soon - one as an all-around superstar who does everything while the other lays the groundwork for Steph Curry's potential three-point streak.We can appreciate the individual brilliance of both and be happy to see the two young stars shine without trying to fight them or diminish the achievements of either of them.
