Kon Knueppel needed just one game to prove ROY race isn’t much of one

Chances are, if you're reading this, you firmly believe that Cooper Flagg deserves to win Rookie of the Year over Kon Knueppel. Some think otherwise, although that number should've gone down after watching Flagg drop 45, 51, and 33 points in three of his final six games. If there were still doubters even after that, watching Knueppel in the Hornets' play-in game on Tuesday should've changed that.

Yes, ROY is determined by what happens in the regular season. However, with Luka Dončić's eligibility appeal (he came up one game short of the 65 mark, missing two games to travel back to Slovenia for the birth of his second daughter), ballots haven't yet gone out. They typically are submitted before the play-in tournament.

Technically, Knueppel could've boosted his case, even though that would've been unfair. It's a good thing he didn't, as he had two more points (six) than he had fouls (four) on 2-of-12 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 from three in 34 minutes. He posted a team-worst plus-minus of -20.

Charles Lee subbed Coby White in for Knueppel with 1:42 left to play in the fourth quarter, when the Hornets were down, 111-105. The rookie, Charlotte's best three-point shooter, didn't return in regulation or in overtime.

It was White who hit a miraculous three with 10.8 seconds remaining to tie the game at 114, which ultimately forced overtime, as Tyler Herro missed a three for the Heat on the other end.

Kon Knueppel went cold in Hornets' play-in game

With all due respect to Knueppel, who has done exceptionally well in Charlotte, he doesn't compare to Flagg. If the Hornets hadn't turned into one of the best teams in the second half of the season, this would have never been a conversation.

No one can definitively say how the Mavericks' rookie would do in a win-or-go-home game, since he wasn't in that position, but it's safe to assume that he would've had more than six points, and that Jason Kidd wouldn't have benched him down the stretch.

Flagg is a 19-year-old superstar built for big moments, and Dallas hopes there will be plenty in the future. Watching him not only navigate a rollercoaster of a first season but also make major strides and improve amid the chaos gave fans a glimpse of what's to come for him.

If there was anyone who was going to take ROY over Flagg, you can think that he'd be okay with it going to Kon, his former Duke teammate and good friend. The thing is, there shouldn't be all that much of a debate anymore. Flagg made a strong closing argument, and Knueppel just threw him an assist without meaning to.

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