Jason Kidd's loaded Cooper Flagg quote has Kon Knueppel written all over it

Despite the NBA season nearing closer to the playoffs every day, fans have never been more locked into the league's Rookie of the Year race between Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg and Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel. Despite the constant chatter back and forth from fans, Jason Kidd's recent comments as to why Flagg deserved to win Rookie of the Year honors all but wrap up any argument against the 19-year-old.

In a recent press conference, Kidd was quick to back his rookie and not only boast about what Flagg has been able to accomplish in his rookie season but even take a shot at Knueppel and Hornets fans. There's no doubt that both have made a strong case for winning a share of the title, but after Flagg's recent 51-point explosion, which was followed by a near 45-point triple-double, all but sealed the race in Flagg's favor.

Kidd's comments have become an outcry for Flagg fans

“He had an incredible game the other night against Orlando, but understanding we’ve seen that the numbers have spoke for themselves and they’re gonna continue to speaking for him. And he plays the game the right way," Kidd said. " He’s just not a 3-point shooter, he plays both sides of the ball…”

While Kidd hasn't been shy about hyping up Dallas' future star, his comments about Flagg being more than just a 3-point shooter feel targeted towards Knueppel directly and just about any argument in favor of him winning the award. Knueppel has already broken out as one of the league's best and most efficient shooters, but taking away his incredible range, his defense can't compare to that of his fellow rookie counterparts.

This being said, Kidd would never go public or direct about bashing Knueppel or his playstyle, but this absolutely speaks to the degree of play that Flagg has operated with during his rookie season. In comparison to his former Duke roommate, Flagg leads him in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals averages, only trailing in 3-point shot-making and field goal percentage.

Despite all the numbers speaking for themselves, Knueppel has strongly set the Hornets apart, as they are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference, only 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks. With that in mind, Knueppel has added the perfect amount of shooting and offense to a team desperate for an identity, while the Mavericks found the league's next superstar in Flagg.

Flagg deserves to win Rookie of the Year

Fans will go back and forth all day arguing who has had a better rookie season between Flagg and Knueppel, but the bottom line remains the same: Flagg is breaking records on both sides of the ball. After scoring back-to-back 40-point games, Flagg became the first rookie since Allen Iverson to record that stat, and this only scratches the surface of the accomplishments by the 19-year-old.

Knueppel has absolutely made the case to be one of the league's most impactful rookies over the last decade, but brushing off Flagg's accomplishments and justifying it by saying Charlotte is a better team makes no sense. Flagg has proven he is ready to be amongst the NBA's elites.