Kon Knueppel's play-in disaster just handed Cooper Flagg Rookie of the Year

Over the course of the regular season, one of the NBA's most heated debates has been Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg and Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel's Rookie of the Year race. While Flagg leads all rookies in almost every major statistical category, Knueppel's 3-point shot-making and overall fit within the Hornets system have given him the edge over his former teammate; however, that may have changed after Charlotte's play-in game.

After hitting a rookie wall before the postseason began, Knueppel had an all-time stinker in the biggest game in his professional career after shooting a gut-wrenching 2-12 from the field and 0-6 from beyond the 3-point line against the Miami Heat.

To make matters even worse for Knueppel's Rookie of the Year case, he was benched in the final few minutes when the Hornets desperately needed a bucket to keep their season alive, along with all of overtime. This all but secured Flagg's victory in the Rookie of the Year race if voters finally give him the respect he deserves.

Knueppel's play-in disaster gives Flagg the edge in ROTY race

Despite having nothing to play for, one of the Mavericks' biggest motivations heading into the final few weeks of the regular season was to make a strong case for Flagg's Rookie of the Year campaign. After missing multiple weeks with a foot sprain, Flagg's rookie campaign was all but lost until he poured it on in the final weeks with multiple 40-plus point games and even a 50-point display that made him the first teenager in league history to drop a 50-bomb.

In many fans' eyes, Flagg's final month all but locked up the award in his favor, but the national media has sided with Knueppel; however, that may have changed after his struggles in Tuesday night's play-in game. While the Rookie of the Year race remains a regular-season award, Knueppel's last 10 games can't go unnoticed.

In what many declare as the most important time of the year, Knueppel's once-strong play crumbled as he shot poorly at a 39.3 percent clip and was played off the floor in his last 10 games. While he still has plenty of time to redeem himself if the Hornets make the playoffs, every argument against Flagg winning Rookie of the Year crumbled with Knueppel's recent struggles.

Flagg was always the clear winner despite Knueppel's historic effort

The argument for Knueppel winning Rookie of the Year was all based on the Hornets' success over the second half of the regular season. While he was a huge part of their resurgence, there's still an outcome where the Hornets don't make the playoffs and end up exactly where the Mavericks are today.

Flagg is not only the more talented rookie, but he just about shattered every expectation placed upon him despite being a generational prospect coming out of high school. Both players will have brilliant careers, but to justify Knueppel winning a prestigious award due to team success over a 19-year-old who was breaking records every night makes no sense.

Over the course of the summer, there will be a lot of changes headed Dallas' way from the front office to the roster. With all of that in mind, the Mavericks need to prepare for yet another Flagg breakout season in his second year.

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