Before the locker room cleared out after Sunday's finale, Cooper Flagg's teammates made sure voters heard them loud and clear on Rookie of the Year.
Cooper Flagg's first NBA season ended Sunday with a sprained ankle and 56 losses. But before the locker room cleared out, his teammates and coaches made sure to lay out exactly why none of that should matter when the Rookie of the Year votes are counted.
The race between Flagg and Charlotte Hornets' Kon Knueppel has been the defining storyline of the rookie class all season. Knueppel has the better team record, the shooting numbers, and the advanced metrics. The 20-year-old canned 268 3-pointers on 42.9 percent shooting, the best 3-point shooting season by any rookie in league history. But Flagg's teammates believe the award belongs to the 19-year-old carrying Dallas on his back night after night.
Naji Marshall did not leave any room for interpretation.
"If he don't win it, he'll use it as motivation to come back even more of a dog and win MVP next year," Marshall said. "Regardless of how it goes, I think it's going to be good for him."
Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 70 games and led the Mavericks in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in all four categories.
He also became the first teenager in NBA history to score 51 points in a game, then followed it up with 45 against the Lakers. Knueppel, for his part, shot 2 of 12 from the field and 0 of 6 from three in the Hornets' Play-In game loss to Miami, and was benched in the final minutes of the biggest game of his professional career.
Flagg himself acknowledged the stakes.
"Obviously, I'd be disappointed," he said when asked what losing the award would feel like. "It's something I think all rookies strive for. I would definitely be disappointed. But at the end of the day, I think I went out there and showed what I'm capable of."
Coach Jason Kidd was direct.
"I do think he should win Rookie of the Year because of what he's done on the court and off the court," Kidd said. "And if he doesn't, it doesn't mean that it's the end of his career. He will be out to prove he's one of the best players in the world."
Flagg did not just meet the moment this season. He defined it. His teammates know it, his coach knows it and Dallas knows it. Whether the rest of the voters agree is the only question left to answer.