Cooper Flagg's Rookie of the Year bid surges after Mavericks teammate speaks out

Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are neck and neck in the NBA's Rookie of the Year race, and Dallas Mavericks rookie point guard Ryan Nembhard just made his case for why Flagg deserves the award.

Nembhard and Flagg have a dynamic on-court connection, dating back to the NBA Summer League, and he knows as well as anyone why Flagg should win this honor. During the first half of Wednesday night's game, Mavericks sideline reporter Lesley McCaslin shared a conversation she had with Nembhard. He hit the nail on the head on why Flagg should be Rookie of the Year.

Nembhard goes to bat for Flagg's Rookie of the Year case

Nembhard listed a handful of reasons, including Flagg stepping into a new role at point guard, dominating defensively, and leading all rookies in points per game. He also joked that Flagg would be leading all rookies in assists per game if it weren't for him, as Nembhard is leading at 4.9 while Flagg is in second.

Flagg's playmaking has been one of the most underrated parts of his game, and he has shown this off often as of late. He's dished out five or more assists in all 12 games since returning from a midfoot sprain, showing that he is one of the best passers and decision-makers in his draft class.

Playing point guard for a portion of the season despite being at his best on the wing was difficult for Flagg, but he accepted the challenge and battled adversity. This was not an easy transition for him by any means, and Jason Kidd threw him into the fire right away.

Situation matters in Rookie of the Year debates. This is why Flagg should be ahead of Knueppel. Thus, Nembhard's strongest point emerges.

Flagg has battled far more adversity than Knueppel

He stated that Flagg has earned the award since he has taken on a much bigger role than other rookies, and voters should keep this in mind. Flagg only played in 20 games as Dallas' No. 2 option this year, as Anthony Davis was constantly injured before the Mavericks traded him. Outside of that, Flagg has been seeing opposing teams' No. 1 defender every night while being the primary creator.

Kidd even admitted that he wanted Flagg to be "uncomfortable" during his first press conference as a Maverick.

This is far from what fans expected heading into Flagg's rookie year, and the stark contrast between his situation and Knueppel's tells a huge story.

The Charlotte Hornets are a far better team than the Mavericks, and Knueppel should get credit for their resurgence. Charlotte would not be in this position today without Knueppel, but he plays alongside Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball, two excellent scorers who command the defense's attention.

Knueppel is only Charlotte's No. 1 option when those players are out of the lineup, which obviously helps him receive an easier defensive matchup compared to the guys Flagg has to go up against.

The Hornets' team success has seemingly convinced most NBA fans that Knueppel is Rookie of the Year (with some people believing he's the better player), but Nembhard's reasoning proves why Flagg deserves it.

Both players have had magnificent rookie seasons after being roommates for one year at Duke, but Flagg should have him beat. He shouldn't be penalized for the Mavericks' lack of success, and his dominance, despite not receiving much help from his team, should put him at the top.

"Cooper has had a hell of a year, and he's definitely Rookie of the Year in my opinion," Nembhard said.