This is the exciting battle for the ROY between Flagg and Knueppel

Diego Jiménez Rubio | Mon, 02/02/2026 - 16:12

Flagg and Knueppel square off for the ROY. Photo: gettyimages

There are two players called to mark an era and they are astonishing in their early steps as NBA players. Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel shared college, NCAA team, and are now competing for the same prize: Rookie of the Year. This prestigious award is being fiercely contested by two men with excellent numbers.

Everyone assumed that Cooper Flagg would dominate as the best rookie, being a player destined to become a strong generational leader in the NBA. However, the turbulent situation in the Dallas Mavericks has dimmed the spotlight on a man who went through stages where Kidd asked him to do unreasonable things. There is nothing to blame Flagg for, as his NBA statistics are worthy of a great star project, but doubts arise due to the outstanding performance of Kon Knueppel.

This accomplished outside shooting specialist is proving to be much more, able to score off the dribble and attack the rim with surprising ease. His shooting accuracy from mid-range has caught attention, and his shooting mechanics seem flawless. The good performance of Charlotte Hornets is boosting the candidacy of a man who has accumulated 4 games scoring over 30 points, whereas Cooper Flagg has done it 5 times. The stark difference from the others is that the rest of the rookies, collectively, have 4 games scoring over 30 points.