Flagg's all-around dominance, historic scoring, and consistent impact are leaving rivals in his dust for Rookie of the Year.
Despite the disappointing year the Mavericks have had, the expectations for the future in Dallas still remain high as a result of one man.
And that man is Cooper Flagg.
So it is no surprise that in Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley's recent piece predicting the NBA Awards, he has the Mavericks young superstar winning the award over his former college roommate, Kon Knueppel.
"Knueppel's case is super compelling—and would be award-winning in a lot of seasons," Buckley writes. "But Flagg just has a different top gear, and since this reward often lands with the most spectacular rookie (not necessarily the most successful one), our crystal ball thinks he'll edge out this hard-fought race."
Flagg’s rise hasn’t been about one standout performance—it’s been about consistency. Night after night, he’s impacting games in multiple ways, showing a level of polish that’s rare for a first-year player. His ability to score, facilitate, and defend at a high level has made him one of the most complete players in the whole NBA.
The 19-year-old phenom is currently averaging 21 points, just under seven rebounds, and almost five assists per game. He has a bit of work to do from beyond the arc, but he has shot a very solid 47 percent from the field.
Knueppel made this race interesting early on with his shooting and offensive production, but the gap has widened as the season has progressed. While he remains a talented scorer, Flagg’s all-around game has given him the edge. He affects both ends of the floor in a way that’s difficult to match, and that versatility is often what separates good rookies from great ones.
One of the biggest factors in the sudden separation are the high-scoring games he has recently had. He just became the first teenager to score 50 points in a game with 51 against the Orlando Magic, and he then followed it up by becoming the first rookie to ever put up 40+ against the great LeBron James
The award is far from officially decided, but Flagg has absolutely positioned himself as the player to beat. By separating from the rest of the rookie class—and proving he can impact winning at a high level—he’s made a strong case that the honor is his to lose.