The Rookie of the Year picture keeps shifting every week, and NBA fans are convinced the league already has someone picked out. NBA.com dropped its latest rookie ladder with Kon Knueppel at the top and Cooper Flagg right behind him, and that was enough to set off the usual debates. Knueppel’s been sharp early, but a lot of people still think Flagg is the one the league wants to highlight long-term.
One fan said, “Adam Silver not gonna let anyone but Coop win.”
Another added, “All I know is: someone here is getting overhyped and someone here is getting robbed… and I’ll find out which in April.”
A third wrote, “We all thought Cooper was gonna be runaway ROY and early on we got VJ and Kon outranking him.”
https://t.co/wWGNmWoaNH’s updated rookie ladder:
1. Kon Knueppel
2. Cooper Flagg
3. Cedric Coward
4. Derik Queen
5. VJ Edgecombe
6. Jeremiah Fears
7. Ryan Kalkbrenner
8. Ace Bailey
9. Egor Dëmin
10. Tre Johnson pic.twitter.com/64nLKKgi30— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 26, 2025
Looking at production, Knueppel has the edge so far with 18.6 points through his first 18 games. Flagg is sitting at 15.9 per game, and VJ Edgecombe is right there too with 15.6 in 15 appearances. Nobody’s pulling away. With three rookies hovering around similar numbers, fans are already bracing for the idea that the league might favor the top pick when votes start mattering.
“Anyone who dared call him a bust is a moron”: NBA fans react on Cooper Flagg’s career-high night
Even with the talk around Knueppel’s rise, Cooper Flagg gave his supporters plenty to celebrate after his latest performance. In a 118–115 win over the Pelicans on Friday, the Duke product turned in a career-high 29 points, and social media lit up right after.
One said, “Anyone who dared call him a bust is a certified smooth-brain móron with zero basketball IQ.”
Anyone who dared call him a bust is a certified smooth-brain móron with zero basketball IQ.
— Tom Fraudy (@thesportspo11) November 22, 2025
Another added, “Cooper Flagg seen yall Kon Knueppel tweets and locked in lol.”
A third wrote, “He’s aggressive, that I like. He’s showing he’s more than hype, and if he keeps this up, he’s going to change the game.”
Flagg may not be at the top of the ladder right now, but he’s clearly trending upward. With the season still finding its shape, the rookie race looks like it’ll go down to the wire—and he’s positioning himself to be right in the middle of it.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
