Cooper Flagg joins the Submit Up present to speak in regards to the Mavericks’ win over the Warmth.
The baton lastly will get handed 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 beginning this season by advantage of his quick and stunning begin as a Hornets sharpshooter. However Flagg’s early seek for traction, owing to the Mavericks’ use of the rookie as a stop-gap level guard in Kyrie Irving’s harm absence, is over.
The valedictorian of the Class of 2025, by advantage of his No. 1 choice, is easing a few of the Luka Dončić angst together with his all-around play. He’s not simply 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 utilization will increase alongside together with his affect.
For the document, although, Flagg on Saturday vs. Houston broke his tie with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, posting his third recreation at age 18 with at the least 15 factors, two steals and two blocked photographs. Flagg averaged 17.3 factors and 6.3 rebounds this week, to Knueppel’s 18 factors and 5.5 boards. Each are averaging 3.3 assists.
The baton presumably will commute between the previous Duke teammates, assuming Flagg’s sore proper thumb can maintain up. He has been enjoying by means of the harm since mid-November, however his scoring (19.5 ppg) and capturing (52%) have gone up in that point.
Right here is the newest rating of the NBA’s prime rookies:
Weekly recap
• In case you haven’t been paying consideration, the experiences from final yr in regards to the Class of 2025’s depth are proving to be true. The Ladder this season is deep, not top-heavy. “It has large depth and guys who’re getting into the second, profiting from their alternatives,” New Orleans coach James Borrego mentioned earlier this week. “These [players] don’t appear like rookies to me. These are guys having main affect in clutch moments.”
• San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox was requested about this crop of rookies flexing plenty of home expertise, too. “It’s nice that plenty of them are American, that’s for certain,” Fox mentioned. Of the rookies typically, Fox added: “Lots of them are clearly getting enjoying time. When you begin getting snug on this league, that’s while you elevate your recreation.”
• Knueppel’s highlight has gotten his brothers some discover, too, for greater than their pleasure over the Hornets workforce dinner their dad and mom hosted when Charlotte performed its first recreation this season of their hometown of Milwaukee. Kager and Kinston workforce nowadays at Wisconsin Lutheran Excessive, whereas youthful siblings Kash and Child play at St. John’s Lutheran grade faculty.
Storyline to observe
• Maxime Raynaud’s progress in Sacramento. This part of the Ladder turns into a holding pen for the second consecutive week for a rookie on the rise. Final week, it was Dylan Harper, returning to type for the Spurs after a 10-game absence. This time, it’s Kings’ huge man Maxine Raynaud, getting into the void of Domantas Sabonis’ left knee harm absence since mid-November. The 7-foot-1 Parisian by the use of Stanford – the No. 42 choose in June – has averaged 10.1 factors, 4.8 rebounds and 19.6 minutes within the Kings’ previous 10 video games. He began their previous two and on a just-completed three-game journey averaged 16.7 factors, 8 boards and a couple of.3 assists.
(All stats by means of Tuesday, Dec. 9)
1. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Season stats: 17.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 apg
Final Ladder: No. 2
Draft choose: No. 1
One space through which Flagg continues to shine, and compete with some NBA veterans, is within the clutch. Due partially to Dallas’ 16 clutch video games this season (video games inside 5 factors with lower than 5 minutes left), their prized rookie ranks close to the highest in a number of classes. His 52 factors within the clutch place him fourth, and his 71.3 clutch minutes are second solely to Tyrese Maxey’s 75.6 of the Philadelphia 76ers. Flagg’s 59.3% field-goal share is second behind the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (66.7%) amongst High 20 clutch scorers. Flagg can be second with 20 rebounds in these tight minutes, trailing the Chicago Bulls’ Josh Giddey (21).
2. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Season stats: 18 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
Final Ladder: No. 1
Draft choose: No. 4
Even after per week of 32% success from the arc, Knueppel is on tempo for 276 3-pointers, which might dwarf Keegan Murray’s rookie document (206). He has had seven video games with at the least 5, becoming a member of some spectacular NBA veterans. After all, the 6-foot-6 ahead is about extra than simply the lengthy ball. And his protection sometimes exhibits out for the Hornets, too.
3. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
Season stats: 12.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.9 apg
Final Ladder: No. 5
Draft choose: No. 13
Queen joined choose firm Monday when he put up 33 factors, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 blocked photographs whereas making 11 of his 15 photographs in a loss to San Antonio. Earlier than Queen, solely LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox had managed 30-point triple-doubles earlier than age 21. He’s additionally a celebration of 1 in turning into the primary rookie middle to put up one such recreation of at the least 30 factors. Queen had 21 of these factors and half his assists within the Pelicans’ 45-23 third quarter. Amid a tough season, he has given New Orleans’ broadcast workforce of Joel Meyers and Antonio Daniels causes to get excited.
4. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
Season stats: 13.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.7 apg
Final Ladder: No. 4
Draft choose: No. 11
Coward averaged a double-double for the week (17 ppg, 10 rpg), however truly notched his fourth of the season Friday vs. the Clippers. He had 23 factors, 14 boards and 5 assists whereas going 10-of-18 in Memphis’ 107-98 victory, and even sought out a second with a participant to whom he’s been in contrast. As for serving to the Grizzlies emotionally by means of their patchy season, he mentioned: “Whether it is calming us down, whether it is getting us riled up, I’m there to do actually no matter.”
5. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
Season stats: 15.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg
Final Ladder: No. 3
Draft choose: No. 7
No sooner had the Ladder praised Fears’ capturing than the Pelicans’ rookie hit 34.1% for the week, together with a mixed 6-for-24 at Brooklyn and in opposition to San Antonio. However coach James Borrego has been tapping into Fears’ best asset, his velocity, in attempting to spice up his workforce’s tempo. Of their first 12 video games beneath Willie Inexperienced, the Pels ranked twenty sixth (99.55) in tempo however are 4th (102.47) since Borrego took over. “Our tempo is about by him. He’s a one-man quick break,” Borrego mentioned. “Even after a make, he can get coast to coast – did it as soon as after a free throw.”
The following 5:
6. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
Season stats: 14.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4 apg
Final Ladder: No. 6
Draft choose: No. 3
The Sixers’ rookie hasn’t grabbed consideration or racked up minutes – till logging 38 Sunday in opposition to the Lakers, anyway – since his three-game sitdown (calf) round Thanksgiving. However his contributions per 36 minutes earlier than and after are awfully shut: 15 factors, 6.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in his first 15 NBA appearances in comparison with 14.6, 6.3 and 5.1 in 5 since Nov. 30. He additionally loved a particular second after Sunday’s 112-108 loss.
7. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
Season stats: 13.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.4 apg
Final Ladder: Not ranked
Draft choose: No. 2
The calf harm that price Harper 10 video games cleaved his season up to now into two comparable halves, a nod to the Spurs’ measured use of the rookie from Rutgers. Out of the gate, he averaged 23.5 minutes, 14 factors, 4 rebounds and three.8 assists and 1.8 turnovers. In seven video games since he returned, he’s at 20.6, 13, 2.3, 4.0 and 1.3 – with 22 factors, six assists and a layup as the game-winner with 9.1 seconds left at New Orleans on Monday. Stated teammate De’Aaron Fox: “I feel he’s being him.”
8. Ryan Nembhard, Dallas Mavericks
Season stats: 7.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 3.7 apg
Final Ladder: No. 10
Draft choose: Undrafted
Nembhard performed in simply six of Dallas’ first 19 video games, twice breaking 10 minutes because the Mavericks – in quest of some extent guard – averaged 16.9 turnovers, 23.8 assists and 109.5 factors. In beginning Dallas’ previous six video games, Nembhard has averaged 14.8 factors, 6.8 assists and 1.3 turnovers whereas his workforce’s numbers have improved to 11.3 turnovers, 27.7 assists and 119.2 factors.
9. Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz
Season stats: 10.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.8 apg
Final Ladder: No. 7
Draft choose: No. 5
One other rookie whose transfer into the beginning lineup has made a giant distinction. Off the bench for his first 9 video games, Bailey averaged 5.9 factors on 6.5 field-goal makes an attempt, capturing 33.9% and 22.1% on threes. As a starter over the previous 14 video games, he has put up 13.1 ppg on 10.5 photographs whereas making 49% (40%). Enjoying with 4 different 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
Final Ladder: No. 8
Draft choose: No. 34
Kalkbrenner is averaging 2.3 blocks in December whereas capturing 76.5%. However he fouled out in opposition to Denver and MVP candidate Nikola Jokić on Sunday, one thing the rookie by no means did in his 169 collegiate video games at Creighton.
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Steve Aschburner has written in regards to the NBA since 1980. You possibly can e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and observe him on X.
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