Cooper Flagg joins the Post Up show to talk about the Mavericks' win over the Heat.
The baton finally gets passed this week, with Dallas’ Cooper Flagg slipping into the lead over Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel atop the Kia Rookie Ladder.
Knueppel had held the No. 1 rung from the start this season by virtue of his fast and surprising start as a Hornets sharpshooter. But Flagg’s early search for traction, owing to the Mavericks’ use of the rookie as a stop-gap point guard in Kyrie Irving’s injury absence, is over.
The valedictorian of the Class of 2025, by virtue of his No. 1 selection, is easing some of the Luka Dončić angst with his all-around play. He’s not just matching and setting NBA marks for 18-year-olds – he turns 19 on Dec. 21 – he’s carrying the Mavericks on many nights as his usage increases along with his impact.
For the record, though, Flagg on Saturday vs. Houston broke his tie with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, posting his third game at age 18 with at least 15 points, two steals and two blocked shots. Flagg averaged 17.3 points and 6.3 rebounds this week, to Knueppel’s 18 points and 5.5 boards. Both are averaging 3.3 assists.
The baton possibly will go back and forth between the former Duke teammates, assuming Flagg’s sore right thumb can hold up. He has been playing through the injury since mid-November, but his scoring (19.5 ppg) and shooting (52%) have gone up in that time.
Here is the latest ranking of the NBA’s top rookies:
Weekly recap
• In case you haven’t been paying attention, the reports from last year about the Class of 2025’s depth are proving to be true. The Ladder this season is deep, not top-heavy. “It has tremendous depth and guys who are stepping into the moment, making the most of their opportunities,” New Orleans coach James Borrego said earlier this week. “These [players] don’t look like rookies to me. These are guys having major impact in clutch moments.”
• San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox was asked about this crop of rookies flexing a lot of domestic talent, too. “It’s great that a lot of them are American, that’s for sure,” Fox said. Of the rookies generally, Fox added: “A lot of them are obviously getting playing time. Once you start getting comfortable in this league, that’s when you elevate your game.”
• Knueppel’s spotlight has gotten his brothers some notice, too, for more than their excitement over the Hornets team dinner their parents hosted when Charlotte played its first game this season in their hometown of Milwaukee. Kager and Kinston team these days at Wisconsin Lutheran High, while younger siblings Kash and Kid play at St. John’s Lutheran grade school.
Storyline to watch
• Maxime Raynaud’s progress in Sacramento. This section of the Ladder becomes a holding pen for the second consecutive week for a rookie on the rise. Last week, it was Dylan Harper, returning to form for the Spurs after a 10-game absence. This time, it’s Kings’ big man Maxine Raynaud, stepping into the void of Domantas Sabonis’ left knee injury absence since mid-November. The 7-foot-1 Parisian by way of Stanford – the No. 42 pick in June – has averaged 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 19.6 minutes in the Kings’ past 10 games. He started their past two and on a just-completed three-game trip averaged 16.7 points, 8 boards and 2.3 assists.
(All stats through Tuesday, Dec. 9)
1. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Season stats: 17.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 apg
Last Ladder: No. 2
Draft pick: No. 1
One area in which Flagg continues to shine, and compete with some NBA veterans, is in the clutch. Due in part to Dallas’ 16 clutch games this season (games within five points with less than five minutes left), their prized rookie ranks near the top in several categories. His 52 points in the clutch place him fourth, and his 71.3 clutch minutes are second only to Tyrese Maxey’s 75.6 of the Philadelphia 76ers. Flagg’s 59.3% field-goal percentage is second behind the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (66.7%) among Top 20 clutch scorers. Flagg is also second with 20 rebounds in those tight minutes, trailing the Chicago Bulls’ Josh Giddey (21).
2. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Season stats: 18 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
Last Ladder: No. 1
Draft pick: No. 4
Even after a week of 32% success from the arc, Knueppel is on pace for 276 3-pointers, which would dwarf Keegan Murray’s rookie record (206). He has had seven games with at least five, joining some impressive NBA veterans. Of course, the 6-foot-6 forward is about more than just the long ball. And his defense occasionally shows out for the Hornets, too.
3. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
Season stats: 12.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.9 apg
Last Ladder: No. 5
Draft pick: No. 13
Queen joined select company Monday when he put up 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocked shots while making 11 of his 15 shots in a loss to San Antonio. Before Queen, only LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox had managed 30-point triple-doubles before age 21. He’s also a party of one in becoming the first rookie center to post one such game of at least 30 points. Queen had 21 of those points and half his assists in the Pelicans’ 45-23 third quarter. Amid a rough season, he has given New Orleans’ broadcast team of Joel Meyers and Antonio Daniels reasons to get excited.
4. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
Season stats: 13.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.7 apg
Last Ladder: No. 4
Draft pick: No. 11
Coward averaged a double-double for the week (17 ppg, 10 rpg), but actually notched his fourth of the season Friday vs. the Clippers. He had 23 points, 14 boards and five assists while going 10-of-18 in Memphis’ 107-98 victory, and even sought out a moment with a player to whom he’s been compared. As for helping the Grizzlies emotionally through their patchy season, he said: “If it is calming us down, if it is getting us riled up, I’m there to do really whatever.”
5. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
Season stats: 15.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg
Last Ladder: No. 3
Draft pick: No. 7
No sooner had the Ladder praised Fears’ shooting than the Pelicans’ rookie hit 34.1% for the week, including a combined 6-for-24 at Brooklyn and against San Antonio. But coach James Borrego has been tapping into Fears’ greatest asset, his speed, in trying to boost his team’s pace. In their first 12 games under Willie Green, the Pels ranked 26th (99.55) in pace but are 4th (102.47) since Borrego took over. “Our pace is set by him. He is a one-man fast break,” Borrego said. “Even after a make, he can get coast to coast – did it once after a free throw.”
The next 5:
6. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
Season stats: 14.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4 apg
Last Ladder: No. 6
Draft pick: No. 3
The Sixers’ rookie hasn’t grabbed attention or racked up minutes – until logging 38 Sunday against the Lakers, anyway – since his three-game sitdown (calf) around Thanksgiving. But his contributions per 36 minutes before and after are awfully close: 15 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in his first 15 NBA appearances compared to 14.6, 6.3 and 5.1 in five since Nov. 30. He also enjoyed a special moment after Sunday’s 112-108 loss.
7. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
Season stats: 13.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.4 apg
Last Ladder: Not ranked
Draft pick: No. 2
The calf injury that cost Harper 10 games cleaved his season so far into two similar halves, a nod to the Spurs’ measured use of the rookie from Rutgers. Out of the gate, he averaged 23.5 minutes, 14 points, four rebounds and 3.8 assists and 1.8 turnovers. In seven games since he returned, he’s at 20.6, 13, 2.3, 4.0 and 1.3 – with 22 points, six assists and a layup as the game-winner with 9.1 seconds left at New Orleans on Monday. Said teammate De’Aaron Fox: “I think he’s being him.”
8. Ryan Nembhard, Dallas Mavericks
Season stats: 7.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 3.7 apg
Last Ladder: No. 10
Draft pick: Undrafted
Nembhard played in just six of Dallas’ first 19 games, twice breaking 10 minutes as the Mavericks – in search of a point guard – averaged 16.9 turnovers, 23.8 assists and 109.5 points. In starting Dallas’ past six games, Nembhard has averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 assists and 1.3 turnovers while his team’s numbers have improved to 11.3 turnovers, 27.7 assists and 119.2 points.
9. Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz
Season stats: 10.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.8 apg
Last Ladder: No. 7
Draft pick: No. 5
Another rookie whose move into the starting lineup has made a big difference. Off the bench for his first nine games, Bailey averaged 5.9 points on 6.5 field-goal attempts, shooting 33.9% and 22.1% on threes. As a starter over the past 14 games, he has put up 13.1 ppg on 10.5 shots while making 49% (40%). Playing with four other starters has improved his plus/minus from a -10.9 nightly to -1.7.
10. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets
Season stats: 9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Last Ladder: No. 8
Draft pick: No. 34
Kalkbrenner is averaging 2.3 blocks in December while shooting 76.5%. But he fouled out against Denver and MVP candidate Nikola Jokić on Sunday, something the rookie never did in his 169 collegiate games at Creighton.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
