Tim MacMahon
Multiple Authors
Teenage sensation Cooper Flagg won Rookie of the Year on Monday, narrowly defeating his Duke roommate Kon Knueppel in the voting for the honor.
Flagg, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for the Dallas Mavericks, joining Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic as the only rookies to average at least 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in the 50 seasons since the NBA-ABA merger. Flagg led all rookies in scoring, ranked second among qualifiers in assists and third in rebounds.
Knueppel, the No. 4 pick, averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shattering the rookie record for 3-pointers made with a league-leading 273. He played a major role in a midseason turnaround for the Charlotte Hornets, who made a 25-win improvement from last season to finish 44-38 before being eliminated in the Eastern Conference play-in.
Flagg’s anticipation of immediately playing for a playoff contender did not materialize, as injuries derailed the Mavericks’ season before they traded 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in a move motivated by creating financial flexibility for a long-term build around the rookie.
Dallas finished 26-56 as Flagg joined Jordan as the only rookies in NBA history to lead their teams in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. He was the only player in the NBA to lead his team in each of those categories this season.
Flagg, who turned 19 on Dec. 21, had a historic season for a teenager. He became the youngest player in NBA history to have games of 35, 40, 45 and 50 points, as well as the youngest to have at least 10 assists.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg, who opened his career as a point guard after never before playing the position, recorded three of the four 45-point performances by a teenager in league history. Doncic (five) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (four) were the only players in the league with more 45-point games this season.
Flagg set the single-game scoring record for a teen with 49 points in a Jan. 29 loss to the Hornets — a spectacular duel with Knueppel, who had a season-high 34 points that night — and then broke it by scoring 51 in an April 3 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Flagg also had six games with at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, one more than the rest of the rookie class combined.
Leave a Reply