{"id":713149,"date":"2026-04-18T11:51:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T11:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/713149\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T11:51:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T11:51:28","slug":"no-kon-knueppel-or-cooper-flagg-but-these-five-rookies-could-impact-the-nba-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/713149\/","title":{"rendered":"No Kon Knueppel or Cooper Flagg, but These Five Rookies Could Impact the NBA Playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Rookie of the Year frontrunners<\/a> won\u2019t play in the postseason. Cooper Flagg\u2019s Mavericks have their eyes set on the NBA draft lottery, while Kon Knueppel and the Hornets were eliminated Friday night in a blowout loss to the Magic<\/a> as the two teams battled for the Eastern Conference\u2019s eighth seed.<\/p>\n

Flagg and Knueppel, who were teammates at Duke, have been the center of much of the conversation around the NBA\u2019s rookies. Plenty of other players entered the league on playoff teams, however, and the first round kicks off on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Team context and role matters greatly in how quickly, or not so quickly, a player can adjust to the next level over their first season. The top of last year\u2019s draft was stacked with impact players. The first four picks were highlighted by Flagg and Knueppel. The latter led the NBA in three-pointers and smashed rookie records <\/a>as he helped the Hornets exceed expectations. Flagg, meanwhile, looks like the NBA\u2019s next true superstar<\/a> as the Mavs continue their rebuild after dealing Anthony Davis at the deadline, one season after the shocking Luka Don\u010di\u0107 trade.<\/p>\n

Charlotte chose Knueppel with the fourth pick and sandwiched in between the fellow Blue Devils are two players who have had great rookie seasons in their own right: San Antonio\u2019s Dylan Harper and Philadelphia\u2019s VJ Edgecombe. Elsewhere in the draft, teams found key pieces who were able to shine on both sides of the ball in year one.<\/p>\n

With NBA playoff action set to begin, here are five rookies who could become x-factors over the course of the postseason:<\/p>\n

Dylan Harper, G, San Antonio Spurs<\/p>\n

Season stats: 11.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, 50.5 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 75.6 FT%<\/p>\n

\"Dylan<\/p>\n

Dylan Harper was the second pick of the NBA draft | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Harper may just be San Antonio\u2019s best bench player and they have likely Sixth Man of the Year winner Keldon Johnson on the roster. There was some debate whether the Spurs were wise to take Harper out of Rutgers with the second pick of last year\u2019s draft with De\u2019Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle already on the roster. But San Antonio\u2019s choice to bring in Harper anyway has paid immediate dividends. He averaged 22.6 minutes per game off the bench in year one as an elite backup point guard who should grow into a key starter alongside Victor Wembanyama and Castle sooner rather than later. <\/p>\n

The Spurs hope to make serious noise in the postseason<\/a> and take down the defending champion Thunder in a potential Western Conference finals matchup. Should that dream meeting come to fruition, Harper will be a x-factor as the Spurs hope to continue their dominance against Oklahoma City. <\/p>\n

VJ Edgecombe, G, Philadelphia 76ers<\/p>\n

Season stats: 16.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 43.8 FG%, 35.4 3P%, 81.8 FT%<\/p>\n

\"VJ<\/p>\n

VJ Edgecombe is a key piece for the 76ers moving forward | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Edgecombe, the third pick in the NBA draft, immediately stepped into a critical role for Philadelphia. He started in all 75 games he appeared in, serving as the Robin to Tyrese Maxey\u2019s Batman in the 76ers\u2019 backcourt. Edgecombe\u2019s athleticism and high-flying ability jumps out each time he\u2019s on the floor, but he\u2019s also an efficient scorer and an impactful perimeter defender. He averaged 1.9 stocks (steals plus blocks) over his rookie season, taking tough defensive assignments out of Maxey\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n

Joel Embiid\u2019s health is a big question for Philadelphia\u2019s first-round series against the Celtics. He\u2019s currently out while recovering from an appendectomy<\/a>, which leaves even more of a burden on the shoulders of Edgecombe, Maxey and Paul George.<\/p>\n

Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez, F, Boston Celtics<\/p>\n

Season stats: 3.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.5 apg, 47.6 FG%, 35.2 3P%, 50.0 FT%<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/p>\n

Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez has made a huge impact for the Celtics as a late first-round pick | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s offensive numbers certainly don\u2019t jump off the page, but where he makes a true impact is on the defensive side of the ball. He\u2019s a menace of an on-ball defender, often able to swallow up the top assignment in minutes he\u2019s given. As the No. 28 pick in the NBA draft, Gonz\u00e1lez has been tasked with guarding the likes of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell during his rookie season.<\/p>\n

The Spaniard averaged 14.6 minutes per game mostly off the bench and it will be interesting to see whether Joe Mazzulla trims his minutes as rotations tighten over the postseason. If Boston does shrink the normal group, though, Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s defense alone is reason enough for him to play a solid role in the playoffs especially as the Celtics go deeper on a potential return path toward the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n

Collin Murray-Boyles, F, Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n

Season stats: 8.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 57.9 FG%, 34.0 3P%, 65.7 FT%<\/p>\n

\"Collin<\/p>\n

Collin Murray-Boyles is a versatile forward for the fifth-seed Raptors | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Murray-Boyles is a bench piece for the Raptors, but the do-it-all forward plays a big role for the fifth seed who\u2019s tasked with taking down James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers in round one. He doesn\u2019t shoot threes, but he\u2019s physical near the hoop and is a great playmaker for his position. He should still have a considerable role for Darko Rajakovi\u0107\u2019s squad who\u2019s had relatively little buzz heading into the postseason. Murray-Boyles was a top-10 pick in last summer\u2019s draft after he spent two seasons at South Carolina. He raises the Raptors\u2019 floor as a solid decision maker that can score near the rim and impact the game defensively as well.<\/p>\n

Toronto earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference thanks to the Magic\u2019s disappointing loss to the Celtics<\/a> in the final game of the regular season as Boston rested its starters. That may prove beneficial for Toronto as the Raptors won all three meetings against the Cavs over the regular season, but each meeting came early in the season before Harden came into the fold.<\/p>\n

Carter Bryant, F, San Antonio Spurs<\/p>\n

Season stats: 4.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.7 apg, 40.8 FG%, 33.5 3P%, 71.4 FT%<\/p>\n

\"Carter<\/p>\n

Carter Bryant was the last pick in the lottery of last summer\u2019s draft | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Spurs have not one, but two rookies who have made an immediate impact this season. Bryant, the 14th pick in the draft, has a much smaller role compared to Harper. However, the Arizona product\u2019s role steadily increased over the course of the season. His minutes went up to 15 per game following the All-Star break after he averaged less than 10 a night to start the season. Bryant has become a more consistent three-point shooter and his ability to defend multiple positions paves a path for a real role over the postseason. As of now, he\u2019s a versatile depth piece for the Spurs, which every team needs over the course of a long playoff run.<\/p>\n

More NBA Playoffs from Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n

Listen to SI\u2019s NBA podcast,\u00a0Open Floor, below or on\u00a0Apple<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Spotify<\/a>. Watch the show on\u00a0SI\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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