Cooper Flagg has posted big numbers over the past few weeks, reestablishing himself as one of the clear favorites for NBA Rookie of the Year.  Still, the race is far from settled as of Dec. 23, with Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, Derik Queen, and Jeremiah Fears all firmly in pursuit.

Flagg, of course, opened as the overwhelming favorite. Dallas’ lack of wins has impacted his candidacy, while various other rookies have excelled in their first few months in the NBA. 

With that in mind, here is how the Rookie of the Year race stacks up right now.

1. Kon Knueppel

Leading all rookies in points per game and making 3.6 of his 8.7 attempts per game from beyond the arc, Knueppel is having a phenomenal rookie season. Charlotte’s 9-19 record shouldn’t have too much of an impact on Knueppel’s Rookie of the Year credentials, and the Hornets are markedly better when he’s on the floor.

His rebound and assist numbers haven’t been anything to get too excited about. There’s some self-creation work that catches the eye, though the vast majority of his shots from beyond the arc are unassisted. 

Knueppel doesn’t have the highest ceiling in his rookie class, yet he’s got a compelling case for this award as the halfway mark of the season approaches. 

2. Cooper Flagg

After some ups and downs in the first few weeks of the season, Flagg has been superb in recent weeks. He’s averaging over 25 points with six rebounds and three assists over his last nine games. 

Free throws have been frequent and he’s scoring efficiently inside the arc. The fact he’s doing this while being pretty much a non-factor from three-point land is incredibly valuable. 

A couple of 40-point games have grabbed the headlines. Defensively, Dallas has been markedly better without Flagg on the court, but it’s not likely to sway Rookie of the Year voters too dramatically. 

3. Derik Queen

Second in assists and leading all rookies in rebounds, Queen has seamlessly adjusted to the NBA. A smart passer and an efficient scorer, he’s helping the Pelicans in his minutes, with New Orleans’ net rating dropping by 4.4 points when Queen is off the court.

The offense frequently runs through the rookie big man, who operates as a hub from the high post or elbow. While his scoring can be inconsistent, he has shown the ability to assert himself offensively when needed, already posting six games of 20 or more points.

The scoring numbers might not be as flashy as the top two regularly produce. Queen is going to garner plenty of attention for the Pelicans’ bold trade to acquire him, though, so that could be a factor when voting rolls around.

4. Jeremiah Fears

A teammate of Queen, Fears is fourth among all rookies in scoring. He’s been hot and cold all year, with single-digit games mixed in with seven 20-point outings. 

Fears might have beaten Queen to third place if these rankings were written a week ago. He’s scored nine or fewer points in three of his last five games and has been held to under 30 minutes in all of the games during that period.

A statistical profile that relies on scoring outbursts doesn’t seem like the best route to winning Rookie of the Year with what Flagg and Queen are providing in other areas. Fears needs to average 20+ for the rest of the year to stand a realistic chance. 

5. VJ Edgecombe

Edgecombe cooled off after his historic start. He scored 16 points across two games after missing three straight, then scored 10, 12, and 15 before finding his groove with a string of high-scoring performances.

The electric rookie has scored 20+ in each of his last four games. He has retained his position as Philly’s second option even when Paul George and Joel Embiid are available. There’s never any question about his workload, but the bigger worry is that he gets overworked by Nick Nurse’s short rotation.

Averaging 16 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4 assists, it’s not far-fetched that Edgecombe ends the year at 18.5/6/5. There’s a realistic path where his numbers surpass both Flagg and Knueppel, making him one to closely monitor.

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