Paul Pierce reveals why the Cooper Flagg ROTY debate was completely overblown

It became apparent there was an anti-Cooper Flagg narrative once the regular season was all set and done, but one Hall of Famer made sure to dispel those takes. Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel was the rookie breathing down Cooper Flagg's neck all season long for Rookie of the Year, but ultimately, Flagg was the winner.

It was more of a battle than Mavs fans anticipated, as Flagg won 56 first-place votes compared to Knueppel's 44. We were expecting a close race, and this is about what we thought the gap would be.

Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce defended Flagg's win, saying that his impact was different. There was more weight on Flagg's back than Knueppel's. The Hornets at least have a structure with a young team in progress, while Flagg was the guy for the Mavs. Flagg ended up leading his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. The first time since Michael Jordan that any rookie had done that.

Paul Pierce proved voters got Rookie of the Year right

Pierce was on the "No Fouls Given" podcast talking about the ROTY debate, and he says the major statistics team-wise separate Flagg from his former Duke teammate.

“I absolutely think they picked the right guy," Pierce said. "Kon had a good stretch, you know, toward the middle and after All-Star break, but I think Cooper, at the end, solidified his place as the best rookie...You’re first or second in all the major statistical categories amongst rookies. I mean, he had to do everything for his team. Knueppel was an impact player, but we all know he didn’t have the same focus on him as Cooper had on him in Dallas."

Impact is what favors Flagg the most. Knueppel has LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Brandon Miller by his side. That's four young guys who can see loads of success if they stick together. Knueppel is just another piece of the puzzle, but not the entire puzzle like Flagg was all season long.

Flagg being the first teenager in NBA history to put up a 50-piece should've been the mic drop of the season. The fact that it happened late in the season was just a reminder to the voters to get the decision right.

The real reason why Knueppel nearly stole ROTY from Flagg

The real reason some media members and fans were hesitant about Flagg is that he missed the playoffs. But as soon as Knueppel got to the postseason, he laid an egg. In Knueppel's two contests in the Play-In Tournament, he recorded only 17 points combined, shooting 22.7 percent from the field and 8.3 percent from deep.

Not the numbers Hornets fans wanted to see, but it also showed the NBA voters that they eventually got it right. It's also important to note that the ROTY is based on the regular season, not the playoffs, but common sense still prevailed here.

The main narrative was that Flagg wasn't close to the postseason, but in all fairness, most Rookie of the Year candidates have missed the playoffs. It wasn't the narrative for Victor Wembanyama or LeBron James, but it was for Flagg.

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