Why Kon Knueppel Is The NBA Rookie of the Year Over Cooper Flagg
Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg are the leading candidates for NBA Rookie of the Year, but Knueppel currently has pole position in the race.
Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg have been competing all season in one of the NBA’s most competitive award races amongst the youngsters in recent memory.
Rookie of the Year isn’t quite locked up, as there is still about a month left in the season, but I’ve had the same choice for the award over the last few months despite going back and forth between both players since December.
Knueppel has been so consistent this entire year. Even though his two-way burden isn’t what’s on Flagg’s plate on a nightly basis, Knueppel has helped to drive winning for a franchise that hasn’t had this level of exciting success on the court in quite some time.
Now, to be clear, I’m not going to sit here and say the Charlotte Hornets are on the league’s hottest streak entirely because of Knueppel. That would be disrespectful to the efforts from LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, two of the most lethal offensive threats in the league this year.
But there’s been a swing in momentum for the Hornets in the Eastern Conference that has many wondering if Charlotte can not only make the playoffs but also make some legitimate noise in the postseason.
I’m on the side of that answer being yes, and it’s really a testament to the coaching staff and front office aligning on establishing a culture that’s about winning and playing to its stars’ strengths.
Knueppel has been a perfect hand-in-glove fit around the other talent on the roster, while also emerging as one of the best “false ceiling” prospects we’ve had in the NBA in recent years as a tremendously skilled shooter.
Let’s take some time to examine what has made Knueppel so good this year, why he’s taken a lead in the Rookie of the Year race, and if Flagg can still close the gap and overtake Knueppel before the end of the season.
All stats are as of 3/7/26 and are courtesy of Basketball-Reference, Synergy Sports, and Cleaning The Glass
Kon Knueppel’s Brilliance
On the season, Kon Knueppel has a stat line that probably makes a lot of other NBA wings fairly jealous of just how good he’s been up to this point.
63 GP, 2,010 MP, 19.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 49.1/44.0/87.2 Shooting Splits
21.0 FGA Per 100 Poss, 12.4 3PA Per 100 Poss
65.2 TS%, 9.5 REB%, 16.8 AST%, 12.6 TOV%, 22.4 USG%, 3.2 BPM
He’s already shattered the NBA’s rookie record for three-pointers made in a season, and he continues to knock down threes at an impressive pace given how many he attempts over the course of an average NBA game.
To put into context how rare a season Knueppel is having (as not just a pure shooter, but as an overall offensive player), he’s the ONLY player in the NBA to have registered 2,000 minutes, attempted at least 12 threes per 100 possessions, AND put up a 65% or better True Shooting mark. The only other player that comes close in half the minutes is Sam Merrill, with a far worse assist rate and overall box plus/minus number.
What that means is even though Knueppel is getting most of his damage done from beyond the arc, he’s been as efficient from inside the arc and from the free-throw line while ALSO being a willing passer for the Charlotte Hornets.
Availability is the best ability, and Knueppel has been as durable and consistent as anyone could expect from a rookie in the league.
What looks even more impressive than his box score and advanced metrics, somehow, is his overall Synergy profile.
87th Percentile Total Offense, 62nd Total Defense, 78th All Possessions Plus Assists
“Average” in Transition FGA and Isolation FGA, “Very Good - Excellent” in all other play types
88th Percentile Pick-And-Rolls Including Passes (314 Possessions)
43.9% on All Jump Shots, 42.9% on Catch-And-Shoot Threes, 44.6% on Off-The-Dribble Two’s, 46.2% OTD Threes, 60.6% At The Rim
What the above illustrates is this: essentially, anything that his coach Charles Lee has asked Knueppel to do this year on offense, he’s done quite well. From handling the ball as a creator, to working off screens, driving at the rim, and shooting tough looks off the bounce, Knueppel has taken on any challenge in front of him with or without LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller on the floor.
There was a point during this season where a lineup of at least three of Charlotte’s rookies (Kon, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sion James) had a positive Net Rating per 100 possessions without both Ball and Miller. Obviously, those numbers have come well in line with the mean and even below it (as expected), but that’s a testament to what Knueppel is capable of as a lead or second option offensively.
Knueppel isn’t an explosive athlete by any means. What he brings to the table is a crucial intersection of skills that allows him to get almost anything he wants on offense.
Kneuppel’s ball-handling, footwork, patience, and court vision blend incredibly well with his shooting touch from the perimeter. Defenses don’t speed Kon up. He adapts to what other teams throw at him because he’s strong, sturdy, and smart. Knueppel can absorb contact, fight through defenders, and has several counters between his handle and footwork to get guys off balance or spin back the other way for an open look or pass to the next man.
There may not be many players better than Knueppel when it comes to playing off two feet, and it’s the exact advantage he needs to make use of touch and angles rather than relying on the one-step burst many others rely on, which opens those players up to mistakes depending on takeoff point and launch angle on layups and challenged rim finishes.
Knueppel stays balanced on his shot attempts at all times because he plays so often off two feet. This means he’s able to fully control his body and timing on shot attempts to where even if defenders are in the vicinity of his looks, he doesn’t have to fade or make shots more difficult. That is one of the biggest secrets to Kon’s success, not just as a shooter, but as an inside-the-arc scorer.
These types of moves were evident on tape while Knueppel was at Duke last season, and all of those skills have carried over beautifully. Kon is a low-mistake player because he sees two moves ahead of the defense. He knows where he needs to be on a play, moves without the basketball, knows how to accept/reject screens in the pick-and-roll, and keeps his head up at all times. Being 6’6”, Knueppel can see over defenses and make the correct reads even if he’s doubled coming off screens at the top of the floor.
Earlier in the season, I wrote about how Knueppel’s success as a ghost screener for both Ball and Miller was one of my favorite little wrinkles in an NBA offense this year. Up to this point, he’s continued to remain red hot as a “roll man” in those ball screen actions, shooting 56.3% on those attempts—which is an absurd number given how many of them are threes (with 56 of his 96 attempts as a roller coming from three-point range).
The “skilled shooter” archetype is one of my favorites to evaluate and track in today’s modern NBA landscape. Gone are the days when players are exclusively shooting threats without the ball skills and passing ability to make others around them better in a pinch. We are far from just asking players to shoot threes and attack closeouts. Don’t get me wrong, there are limited offensive players in the league today, but they’re also likely forwards that are primarily on the floor for defensive purposes. Guards and perimeter-oriented wings HAVE to be able to dribble, pass, and shoot at a high level. Zero exceptions in today’s NBA.
And even though Knueppel doesn’t possess elite athletic traits, his strength and brain are his superweapons against NBA defenses. He can hold his own on both ends without being picked on and dissect opposing schemes with some of the smartest players across the league.
I’ve seen a lot of Klay Thompson comparisons pop up for Knueppel, but I’m not even sure that’s a great comp because Thompson’s value was tied as much to his defense during those championship runs in Golden State as his other-worldly shooting ability that will put him in the Hall of Fame when all is said and done.
Knueppel isn’t a BAD defender, but he’s not someone who you want consistently guarding the other team’s best wing player. Knueppel has far more ability to make things happen on offense for others than Thompson did because he’s a better ball handler with ambidexterity to make things happen with both hands on the move.
Therefore, I’m not sure there really is a good comparison for Kon. He’s as unique a player as we’ve seen enter the NBA in quite some time, and is already arguably a Top 40 player in the league after just one season.
Many expected Cooper Flagg to enter that conversation this early, given how productive he was as a two-way force last year at Duke at only 17 years old. But Knueppel has done things differently, while still reaching that same result.
We have seen so many talented rookies come into the NBA and have significant stretches where they hit the “rookie wall” and can’t make consistent contributions to winning, even in a more limited role. Knueppel has had 17 games this season where he’s shot less than 40% from the field, a remarkably low number given the different lineups, situations, and responsibilities he’s taken on at this point in his career. In that same vein, he’s had only 14 games where he’s shot less than 33% on threes. That’s absolutely insane consistency from a rookie who has proved himself as one of the league’s most lethal perimeter weapons.
The Charlotte Hornets and their HOT STRETCH in the Eastern Conference
There is no hotter team in the NBA than the Charlotte Hornets PERIOD.
This squad, since January 15th, has won 18 of its last 24 games. The Hornets are now .500 on the season after a start that had this franchise amongst the worst for that race to a lottery ticket in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Now, there were injuries earlier in the season to both LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller that most certainly impacted the lack of success in October through December. Since the New Year, though, this Hornets team has played an impressive brand of offensive basketball that’s predicated on player movement and unselfishness.
And again, Ball is the largest driver behind this team’s offensive success, given the team’s splits when he’s off the floor. There is no denying that. BUT… this front office signaled there would be a change in culture when it hired Charles Lee as head coach, AND by how it drafted last year in 2025.
I’ve already gone over what makes Kon Knueppel great as an individual talent, but there’s a common thread between him and the rest of the rookies the team brought in, all of whom have played their own part in Charlotte’s turnaround. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sion James, and (in more limited minutes) Liam McNeeley aren’t the “flashiest” draft picks in their own right. But in the case of the other two rookies who have played a good chunk of minutes in Kalkbrenner and James, they’re experienced college vets who understood right away what their assignment was and how they could contribute to winning.
Kalkbrenner is on the floor to patrol the paint, finish everything at the rim, and act as a trustworthy presence at the center position. James isn’t handling the ball at great volume, but he’s knocked down the catch-and-shoot shots he’s been tasked with while guarding every perimeter position and navigating through ball screens in an impressive manner for someone with his build.
Knueppel has gotten to do a bit of everything now for Charlotte, but even he was initially tasked with a specific role of knocking down the shots that came his way and giving an effort on defense. The team has figured out that Kon is capable of much more with the ball in his hands on offense, but he wasn’t acting as the team’s lead or second option immediately at the start of the season.
All of these rookies knew how to play their part, come in every day, and compete with those in front of them for minutes. That discipline and self-awareness have rubbed off on the rest of this team, no doubt about it. And I don’t know this to be fact, entirely speculation on my part, but I just get the impression from watching that Ball’s development in the leadership department came in part because there were now TWO guys in the locker room who could challenge him offensively in terms of overall approach in Miller and Knueppel.
We’ve seen enough people clown Ball for his lack of discipline offensively, but he’s legitimately been a much different player this year. He’s making better decisions on offense, looking to make the right pass and NOT just the flashy assist, and has even looked to change up his shot selection to favor some more looks getting downhill than just settling for threes. It helps Ball to have two of the league’s most dynamic off-ball shooters to spray the rock out to if he gets in trouble on drives, and it’s made all the difference for this offense as a whole.
Knueppel has given both Ball and Miller offensive freedom because of the gravity he commands, how good he’s been in screening actions, and his passing/playmaking ability to get both of them better looks than just everything coming off the dribble.
Watching the Hornets, one can tell that this team is designed to work best when everyone is on the court to help each other, not just themselves. And credit to Lee, as this team is doing just that.
I can’t help but put at least part of this incredible turnaround in Kon’s favor because of what he stands for as a basketball player, and how him going about his business has rubbed off on others for the better this season. The draft haul for the Hornets last year was my favorite group because these guys just care about playing the game the right way. It’s been a breath of fresh air watching this Charlotte team play for each other on offense.
Can Cooper Flagg Still Win ROTY?
I’ve gushed enough about Kon Knueppel’s impact both individually and on the Charlotte Hornets this season. I can’t forget about the top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, who has kicked a bunch of butt this year in his own right.
Let’s not take anything away from how good Cooper Flagg has been. No, he didn’t have the start to the season that many wanted him to have, in part because he took on the difficult assignment of starting point guard in the Western Conference. Even if Flagg’s NBA destiny is to have the ball in his hands more often than not, making him the sole operator of an offense days into his rookie campaign without another trustworthy guard alongside him just wasn’t the best use of his early developmental minutes.
Luckily, the Dallas Mavericks quickly figured out that Flagg needed some help, and lineups with both Brandon Williams and/or Ryan Nembhard alongside Flagg were born. Having at least one other guard next to Flagg and (at the time) Anthony Davis made a significant impact on the team’s overall offensive flow, and Flagg’s numbers in particular began to rebound as a secondary operator.
With Flagg not having to balance the entire load of scoring and distributing, his efficiency spiked coming off screens and other actions to get downhill towards the rim to make all of his decisions.
Flagg is a talented scorer AND passer on the move, curling off screens or working a little two-man game in handoff situations. Flagg can even call for a re-screen and work the pick-and-roll in the middle of the floor. His ball-handling needs to continue improving from a standstill, as well as his pull-up jump shot, but Flagg can do so much damage once he gets two feet in the paint with a runner or crafty finish around the basket. Duke did a great job last season of getting Flagg those same types of touches working alongside Khaman Maluach, and he did a great job of hitting the big man with lobs on those looks.
Dallas hasn’t had a full bill of health in order to force feed looks with Cooper and the team’s best lob threats in Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford on the most consistent basis, but we’ve seen Flagg make some real strides as a ball-screen operator as the season has gone on. As an overall scorer, we’ve even seen Flagg step up and have big nights against the best players in the league in crunch time.
All of that to say, Flagg’s overall production has really turned a corner in the right direction, outside of one key area on offense.
51 GP, 1,725 MP, 20.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 47.3/29.4/80.9 Shooting Splits
55.0 TS%, 10.2 REB%, 19.5 AST%, 1.6 STL%, 2.1 BLK%, 10.7 TOV%, 25.6 USG%, 1.1 BPM
Flagg has been a more “complete” player this year than Knueppel when putting the full two-way picture together. Flagg has had great moments as a scorer, rebounder, passer, and defender. Particularly on defense, Flagg has been awesome at making rotational plays on the ball and helping to really solidify that backline defensively. He’s even taken on strong challenges defending on the perimeter against some of his best offensive counterparts.
He still has some work to do as a defender in navigating ball screens and sticking with some quicker guards and wings on the perimeter, but I really don’t have many bad things to say about his defensive impact overall this season. He’s an excellent option to guard opposing forwards, has held his own on the defensive glass, and is electric as a defensive playmaker who can get himself going on the break and instantly turn that defense into offense.
Knueppel can’t lay claim to that level of defensive impact this season, so as much as I’ve praised Kon’s absurd consistency as a shot maker, I can’t close the door completely on Flagg winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award.
If Flagg can stay healthy through the rest of this season and continue to improve as a jump shooter over this last month stretch while doing all of the other things that make a positive impact on the court, I still think he can catch Knueppel for the award.
The shooting really is the biggest key to Flagg and the one thing that’s held the young forward back from even greater success. Whether it’s been off the catch or off the bounce, Flagg just hasn’t found any rhythm from behind the arc. He’s been really good at the charity stripe, so given his prior stretch at Duke shooting the three (along with that free-throw factor), it’s seemingly only a matter of time before he’s at least average from the NBA three-point line.
Still, it’s the largest hurdle for Flagg to overcome as a more supercharged offensive engine for the Mavericks. Without that jumper, defenses can sag off him or go under on screens and dare him to shoot instead of having to come up to him and play him at that level where he has the physical edge on most perimeter defenders.
Personally, my vote is with Kon for Rookie of the Year. A lot can change in a month in the game of basketball, and I’m just glad we got Flagg AND Knueppel having rookie seasons like they are to make it a fun race. Between what’s come into the league this year and what’s to come from the next draft, I haven’t seen a two-year injection of talent into the NBA like we’re in the middle of right now.
Flagg and Knueppel are at the forefront of that talent upgrade in the league, and I can’t wait to watch what they have in store for us next.