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Tim McMahon
multiple authors
teenage sensation cooper flag Won Rookie of the Year award on Monday by narrowly defeating his Duke roommate Con Knuppel In voting for honors.
Flagg defeated Knueppel by 26 points in voting by a panel of 100 media members. Flagg received 56 votes for first place and the rest went to Knueppel.
Flagg received 44 votes for second place, while Knueppel received 55 votes for second place and one for third place.
“I was looking at Cone just because he’s one of my brothers,” Flagg said on NBC after the honor was announced. “We have that connection and we will always be there for each other.
“I’m watching them as a fan, but at the same time there’s going to be that competition.”
According to the NBA, the 26-point voting gap between Flagg and Nueppel is the second-smallest difference between the top finishers in the Rookie of the Year race since the current voting format began in 2002–03. only mid race Scotty Barnes (378 marks) and evan mobley (363) There was less difference in 2021-22.
Flagg, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. dallas mavericksJoining Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and luka doncic As the only rookie to average at least 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in 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 breaking the rookie record for 3-pointers made with a league-leading 273. He played a major role in the midseason turnaround. charlotte hornetsThey finished 44–38, a 25-win improvement from the previous season, before being eliminated in the Eastern Conference play-ins.
Flagg’s anticipation of playing immediately for a playoff contender was not fulfilled, as injuries derailed the Mavericks’ season before the 10-time All-Star was traded. anthony davis till washington wizards A move motivated by building financial flexibility for the long term building around the newbie.
Dallas finished 26–56 as Flagg joined Jordan as the only rookie 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 category this season.
Flagg, who turned 19 on December 21, had a historic season for a teenager. He became the youngest player in NBA history to score games of 35, 40, 45 and 50 points, as well as the youngest player to dish at least 10 assists.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg, who began his career as a point guard after never 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 to have more than a 45-point game this season.
Flagg set the single-game scoring record for a teenager with 49 points in a loss to the Hornets on January 29 – 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. orlando magic.
Flagg had six games with at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, which was one more than the rest of the rookie class.
