The Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets squared off on Thursday evening in a game that, on the surface, may not have ben a clear draw to a casual viewer. After all, both teams are below .500 this season, and it was merely one matchup on an eight-game night in the NBA. However, the Mavericks-Hornets clash made history in multiple ways, and the head-to-head battle between rookie standouts Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel will not soon be forgotten.
Ultimately, Knueppel and the Hornets escaped with a 123-121 victory, marking a fifth straight win for the suddenly red-hot Charlotte club. Beyond the win-loss result, Flagg and Knueppel, who played together at Duke last season, both put together historic performances.
Flagg exploded for 49 (!) points and 10 rebounds, setting a new mark for the most points ever scored by an NBA player before turning 20 years old. Flagg connected on 20 field goals and was also able to showcase his immense defensive ceiling. On the other side, Knueppel scored a career high 34 points, and he generated a steal (from Flagg) in the final seconds to set up game-winning free throws. Knueppel also set a new Hornets franchise rookie record with eight 3-pointers, and it was truly a night to remember for both players.
While basking in the glow of the dual performance, it is a logical time for a check-in on the state of the Rookie of the Year race. Unsurprisingly, the ROY rankings are headlined by the former Duke teammates.
1. Cooper Flagg
As of Jan. 30, Flagg is the betting favorite to win the award, and the No. 1 overall pick is also No. 1 in these rankings. The 49-point eruption on Thursday certainly helps his case, but Flagg also leads the rookie class in scoring (19.5 points per game) and stocks (2.1 per game). Flagg ranks near the top of the class in rebounds (6.5 per game) and assists (4.1 per game), and he is far more advanced than a traditional rookie on the defensive end. The knock on Flagg, in comparison to the No. 2 player in the ranings, would be scoring efficiency, but the production edge is enough to keep Flagg at the top for now.
2. Kon Knueppel
Knueppel is having one of the most efficient scoring seasons ever by a rookie. Through 48 games, he has a robust 64.4 percent true shooting mark that ranks in the top 20 of the NBA overall, and Knueppel's shooting prowess is unreal. He is in the top 15 of the NBA in three-point accuracy (42.9 percent) and free throw accuracy (90.0 percent), and Knueppel has managed to do it with a significant volume on a potent offense. Knueppel trails only Flagg among rookies in averaging 18.9 points per game and, while he isn't the defender that his former teammate is, Knueppel has held up well on that end by rookie standards. He is firmly in the race at this juncture.
3. VJ Edgecombe
Edgecombe came absolutely flying out of the gate, averaging 25.0 points per game in his first three NBA appearances. That pace has cooled considerably, but the talented guard has 11 games with at least 20 points this season. He is averaging 15.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals (No. 1 among rookies) per game with very solid scoring efficiency for a first-year perimeter player. Edgecombe also has the athletic talent to potentially become a high-end defender and, in many seasons, he might be the leading ROY candidate. This year, he is clearly No. 3, but he is the one player outside of the top two that has a relatively reasonable path to the top if Edgecombe can explode over the final third of the season.
Best of the Rest
At this juncture, the Rookie of the Year pursuit truly seems to be a three-player race. Derik Queen is enjoying a nice season for New Orleans, though his production has slowed in recent days. Tre Johnson is coming on for the Wizards, headlined by 39.3 percent 3-point shooting for the season, but his statistical profile is based heavily on scoring in a way that makes him unlikely to challenge unless the landscape changes. After that, Cedric Coward is averaging 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds for an interesting Memphis team, but barring a true breakout, it is hard to imagine his stats keeping up with the top rookies in a way that would meaningfully change the race.