Will Cooper Flagg overtake Kia Rookie of the Ladder chief Kon Knueppel at No. 1 earlier than 2025-26 ends?
Given the date of posting for this Kia Rookie Ladder, the temptation was robust to declare a brand new chief within the weekly rankings, a fellow who had flown beneath the radar all season, solely to emerge this week: Cooper Knueppel.
Naturally, he would have performed final season at Duke. He’d be a franchise savior with uncanny 3-point accuracy, flashing All-Star abilities whereas already serving to his group leap within the NBA standings.
He could be, in different phrases, a merging of the Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg and the Charlote Hornets’ Kon Knueppel, a combo wing match for April Fools’ Day.
Then once more, the Ladder committee didn’t need to press its luck. At this level within the season, many supporters of Knueppel and Flagg have misplaced their humorousness and suspect the opposite aspect’s backers of all types of snubs and slights.
Those who need to see Knueppel take house the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy because the league’s prime rookie level to his preternatural 3-point capturing prowess – he already owns the rookie file and leads the NBA general in 3s with 257 – in addition to the contributions he has made to Charlotte’s much-improved file. The Hornets have been 19-63 in 2024-25, are 40-36 now and are possible to be taking part in past sport No. 82.
Flagg’s followers tout his explosive performances, the load he’s carrying for the Mavericks, his power as a defender and his versatility as an offensive participant. Flagg was, in spite of everything, the No. 1 decide final June. Unfortunately, Dallas has backpedaled from a 39-43 mark final season to 24-52 regardless of his addition.
Over the subsequent week or so, every will try to solidify his case for the award. The distinction is that Knueppel will try to accomplish that with out getting in the best way of successful, whereas Flagg will want to do it with out getting in the best way of dropping for the lottery-focused Mavs.
Here is that this week’s version of the Kia Rookie Ladder:
Weekly recap
- Who bought higher, or a minimum of put up greater numbers, because the season progressed? Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey has averaged 17.1 factors since Jan. 15, an unofficial midpoint of the 82-game schedule. The Sacramento Kings’ Maxime Raynaud (13.5) and Washington Wizards’ Will Riley (13.3) have been extra prolific scorers than within the season’s first three months.
- New Orleans middle Derik Queen tailed off significantly from his quick begin to his newest travails. He was averaging 12.5 factors and seven.5 boards, however tailed off after Jan. 14 to 9.9 and 6.0.
- Since Jan. 15, Knueppel’s plus-minus has been +8.4 per sport in contrast to Flagg’s -4.4.
- Equalizing for minutes, Flagg has been scoring 21.6 factors per 36 minutes to Knueppel’s 21.5.
- Top rookies on the highway to this point? Knueppel, 21.1 ppg; Raynaud, 7.3 rpg, and Flagg, 4.9 apg. Ryan Kalkbrenner has been most correct general (74.8%) whereas Knueppel has been one of the best on threes (48%).
- Home cookin’ rookies: Flagg, 20.6 ppg, Dylan Cardwell, 8.7 rpg, and Ryan Nembhard, 5.5 apg. Kalkbrenner has made 75.3% of his makes an attempt at house whereas Memphis’ Javon Small has hit 49.3% of his 3-pointers.
Storyline to watch
The favorites’ ending kick. Knueppel and Flagg have solely a handful of video games every to steal voters from one another for the Rookie of the Year award, and even much less time to shake the Ladder. Next week would be the last version for 2025-26, which, primarily, might be a poll reveal. The prime three for ROY might be listed, together with the ten first-year gamers who will get votes for the All-Rookie first and second groups (a minimum of from the Ladder committee).
(All stats by means of Tuesday, March 31)
1. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Season stats: 18.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.4 apg
Last Ladder: No. 1
Draft pick: No. 4
The evening didn’t go the best way Knueppel or the Hornets would have most popular – he shot 3-for-14 and the Sixers received in Charlotte on Saturday – however one other admirer went on file about Knueppel’s robust debut season. “The shooting’s one thing,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse mentioned, “but there’s scoring, there’s toughness, there’s IQ, there’s team player, all those things that look like he’s exhibited, and he’s been absolutely all that and more. I think lots of people liked him in the draft, for sure, and he’s proved those people right, and the people that didn’t, he’s proved those people wrong.”
2. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Season stats: 20.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.5 apg
Last Ladder: No. 2
Draft pick: No. 1
Flagg scored 20 of his 24 factors Friday in Portland within the first half, the 11th time this season he has had 20+ factors in a half. The remainder of this season’s rookies have achieved it a complete of 10 occasions. Two nights earlier, when he had 26 factors, eight boards and 7 assists with no turnovers, he joined Michael Jordan, Michael Finley, Blake Griffin and Kerry Kittles as the one rookies to have a number of 25-5-5-0 video games.
3. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
Season stats: 16 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4 apg
Last Ladder: No. 3
Draft pick: No. 3
Edgecombe is the one rookie in addition to Flagg to be averaging a minimum of 16 factors, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. He leads the Class of 2025 in steals (1.4 spg). The Sixers have gone 39-29 when he has performed, 2-5 when he hasn’t.
4. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
Season stats: 11.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.8 apg
Last Ladder: No. 4
Draft pick: No. 2
No large shock {that a} website devoted to Spurs protection went by means of the psychological train of evaluating Harper’s choice at No. 2 final June and evaluating it to Knueppel’s season in Charlotte, solely to decide San Antonio rightfully would decide Harper once more. As effectively because the group’s third guard has performed and given the Spurs’ file, it will be silly to second-guess his pro-ready play at this level.
5. Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz
Season stats: 13.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.8 apg
Last Ladder: No. 6
Draft pick: No. 5
The fifth general decide within the 2025 Draft lastly ascends to a Ladder rung commensurate with that choice place. Bailey’s steady enchancment has been a vivid spot for the Jazz, averaging 19.6 ppg in March with capturing splits of 45.3%/40.3%/88%. He had 29 “stocks” in 14 video games on the defensive aspect.
The subsequent 5
6. Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings
Season stats: 12 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.3 apg
Last Ladder: No. 5
Draft pick: No. 42
March was Raynaud’s busiest and finest month. Averaging 33 minutes throughout 15 appearances, he shot 59.5%, together with 8-for-18 on 3s, whereas placing up 17.9 factors and eight.5 rebounds. The Kings joined him, going 5-for-10 for the month.
7. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
Season stats: 13.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.8 apg
Last Ladder: No. 7
Draft pick: No. 11
Coward performed in 4 straight after lacking 14 of the Grizzlies’ earlier 21 video games. The rookie’s manufacturing hasn’t soared, however one cause is that opponents are extra locked in on him, given Memphis’ general struggles. “Right now, when you look at our roster, he’s a featured guy and teams may put a lot more emphasis on stopping him,” coach Tuomas Iisalo mentioned.
8. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
Season stats: 11.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.6 apg
Last Ladder: No. 8
Draft pick: No. 13
Queen’s affect continues to sag after per week during which he averaged simply 22.4 minutes, shot 41.7% and logged a minus-54 in three video games.
9. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
Season stats: 13 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
Last Ladder: No. 9
Draft pick: No. 9
In the 31 video games Fears has come off the Pels’ bench, he has shot higher, improved each his offensive and defensive rankings and turned a nasty plus/minus ranking right into a constructive.
10. Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards
Season stats: 12.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2 apg
Last Ladder: Not ranked
Draft pick: No. 6
Johnson is one in all solely three rookies with capturing splits of a minimum of 40% from the sector, 35% from the arc and 85% from the foul line. He is at 42.2/36/87.4, joined at that stage by Miami’s Kasparas Jakučionis (42.3/41.8/90.7) and Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel (48.4/43.3/86.2).
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Steve Aschburner has written in regards to the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, discover his archive here and follow him on X.
