{"id":708090,"date":"2026-04-11T10:30:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T10:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/708090\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T10:30:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T10:30:39","slug":"kon-knueppel-edges-out-cooper-flagg-in-rookie-of-the-year-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/708090\/","title":{"rendered":"Kon Knueppel Edges Out Cooper Flagg in Rookie of the Year Race"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AThe battle between Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg has pushed the boundaries of what defines a standout rookie, with Knueppel’s consistency and team impact proving the difference.Today in Milwaukee<\/p>\n

The NBA’s Rookie of the Year race has come down to a battle between Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets and Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks. While Flagg’s counting stats are impressive, Knueppel’s consistent play and transformative impact on the Hornets’ turnaround season have made him the frontrunner for the award.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Rookie of the Year award is about more than just individual stats – it’s about who has had the biggest impact on their team’s success. Knueppel’s ability to elevate the Hornets, who have more than doubled their win total from last season, gives him the edge over Flagg’s more inconsistent play on a struggling Mavericks squad.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

Knueppel has been a model of consistency, missing just one game all season and setting the rookie record for 3-pointers made with 265. His efficiency metrics, including a 60.8% effective field-goal percentage and 64% true shooting, are among the best in the class. In contrast, Flagg has missed 12 games due to injury and his team has struggled, going just 15-17 in games where he scores 20 or more points.<\/p>\n

Knueppel has played in 81 of 82 games this season.Flagg has missed 12 games, including a crucial stretch around the All-Star break.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Kon Knueppel<\/p>\n

A 6-foot-6 guard\/forward for the Charlotte Hornets who has emerged as a consistent, efficient scorer and playmaker, helping lead the Hornets’ turnaround season.<\/p>\n

Cooper Flagg<\/p>\n

A highly touted 6-foot-9 rookie for the Dallas Mavericks who has put up impressive counting stats but has struggled with injuries and inconsistency, leading to a disappointing season for the Mavericks.<\/p>\n

Ryan Kalkbrenner<\/p>\n

Knueppel’s teammate on the Charlotte Hornets, who ranks second among rookies in effective field-goal percentage and true shooting.<\/p>\n

Keegan Murray<\/p>\n

The previous rookie record holder for 3-pointers made in a season, a mark that Knueppel has now surpassed.<\/p>\n

VJ Edgecombe<\/p>\n

A rookie who is expected to be named to the All-Rookie First Team alongside Knueppel and Flagg.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cKnueppel’s body of work\u2014his consistency, his efficiency, his team’s success\u2014has been too strong. In my opinion, this race isn’t just about who’s better; it’s about who’s more valuable. And right now, that’s Knueppel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ray Christiansen, Columnist<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The NBA’s All-Rookie teams will be announced in the coming weeks, with Knueppel and Flagg both expected to be named to the First Team.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

This rookie race has been about more than just individual stats – it’s about who has had the biggest impact on their team’s success. Knueppel’s consistent play and transformative effect on the Hornets give him the edge over Flagg’s flashier numbers on a struggling Mavericks squad, cementing his case for Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a The battle between Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg has pushed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":708091,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3777],"tags":[7,684,473,3878,685,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-708090","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-charlotte-hornets","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-charlotte","10":"tag-charlotte-hornets","11":"tag-charlottehornets","12":"tag-hornets","13":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116385617312916935","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=708090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708090\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/708091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=708090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=708090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=708090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}