Cooper Flagg may have flipped the Rookie of the Year race when it seemed impossible

Thanks to Cooper Flagg scoring 96 points over a two-game span at the end of the regular season, he gave himself an incredible shot at winning Rookie of the Year over Kon Knueppel. This award is set to be announced later today, but without Flagg having these two masterclass performances, Knueppel would likely be in an excellent spot to steal the honor from his former college roommate.

Cooper Flagg's 96-point weekend was the nail in the coffin

The odds favored Knueppel, even at points in April, due to his outstanding advanced statistics and other factors, but Flagg swung the odds in his favor with some unreal games when he needed them most. He dropped 51 points against the Orlando Magic at home on April 3 before finishing with 45 points in a win against the Los Angeles Lakers two days later, and these games helped voters wake up to the fact that he is the clear-cut Rookie of the Year.

This has been clear all year, but voters began to overthink Rookie of the Year due to the Charlotte Hornets' overall improvement. All signs were pointing to Knueppel winning the award before the final few weeks of the season, and Flagg got himself back in the race.

Knueppel's season deserves recognition, as he helped the Hornets go from a lottery team to the Play-In Tournament, but this isn't all due to him. Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball both had incredible seasons while also staying relatively healthy, and Miles Bridges had a strong year as well.

Knueppel's strong shooting and ability as a secondary scorer definitely helped pull Charlotte out of the mud, but this doesn't outweigh what Flagg did for the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite his team not having much success, Flagg was the best rookie in the NBA all season long. There's no question of whether someone would want to start a franchise with him or Knueppel, as Flagg has solidified himself as a future face of the NBA due to his two-way play and poise as a 19-year-old.

Flagg surpassed sky-high expectations

He averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field, proving that he was far more offensively advanced than anyone imagined. His ability to get to the rim, facilitate, and hit tough mid-range jumpers off the bounce all grew tremendously as the season went on, and he was one of the best two-way rookies this league has ever seen.

Flagg went from someone who was known for his lockdown defense to scoring 40+ points four times and 25+ points 21 times, and these huge scoring outbursts may be what ultimately helps him win this award for being the top rookie in the NBA. He deserved to win Rookie of the Year before this, but these games at the end of the season reminded everyone that he's not a normal rookie.

Flagg has been the best player at every level he's played at for his entire life, and his rookie season was no different. He was the best first-year player in the NBA, and tonight's announcement should reflect that.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow