Every day this week, the NBC Sports NBA writing crew is breaking down the league’s individual postseason awards and giving you their thoughts and predictions. After looking at MVP on Monday, and Coach of the Year Tuesday, today it’s Rookie of the Year, a two-man race between Dallas’ Cooper Flagg and Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel. Here’s where we stand.
Rookie of the Year
Kurt Helin, NBC Sports Lead NBA Writer: Kon Knueppel
Cooper Flagg’s latest surge — including a 51-point outing — has flipped the betting odds, and if this vote were for “who would be the best player from this class in three years” Flagg would have my vote (and Dylan Harper might well be second). However, it’s Rookie of the Year, and Knueppel gets my vote for three key reasons. One is simply the number of games played and minutes; the Hornets star has played in a dozen more games and 220 more minutes. Second, as Knueppel has been the more efficient scorer, highlighted by his leading the NBA in 3-pointers made (and shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc).
However, the real key differentiator for me is that Knueppel’s intensity, shot creation and scoring have lifted the Hornets into the postseason — he has been critical for them. Knueppel simply has played an important role in meaningful games, and while how good a team is does not usually factor into Rookie of the Year, in this case Knueppel’s impact to get his team to the postseason matters as a differentiator in a tight race.
Jay Coucher, NBC Sports Lead Betting Analyst: Kon Knueppel
Cooper Flagg’s environment has been tougher, but Knueppel deserves the award for the most efficient rookie season in NBA history. The Hornets had a 27.5 win total before the year and have sailed over largely because of how outstanding Knueppel has been.
Raphielle Johnson, NBC Sports Fantasy basketball lead analyst: Kon Knueppel
This award is rarely associated with a player’s impact on winning, but that isn’t the case here. Knueppel’s play throughout the season is one of the reasons why the Hornets have qualified for the postseason for the first time in four years, and the door has not closed on them avoiding the Play-In Tournament entirely. In 79 games, Knueppel has averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 0.7 steals, and he needed fewer than 60 games to break the NBA’s record for three-pointers made by a rookie.
Eric Samulski, MLB/NBA Writer, NBC Sports: Kon Knueppel
I know we don’t give our awards for vibes, but it sure feels like Knueppel’s intense competitiveness is a crucial part of the Hornets turnaround. Among qualified rookies, Knueppel is also 1st in three-pointer made per game, 2nd in points per game, 10th in assists per game, 11th in rebounds per game, and 2nd in Player Impact Estimate. He’s also played 12 more games than Cooper Kupp on a much better team.