Every year, multiple college stars leave their life in college basketball and join the NBA draft. They’re then drafted by an NBA team and start playing on the biggest stage of the world. Throughout the season, many people wonder, “Who will win the rookie of the year?”
The rookie of the year award is a prestigious award handed to the best first year player in the NBA. Multiple rookie of the year winners include Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Luka Doncic. The rookie of the year is decided from a group of sportswriters and broadcasters who cast weighted points (five points for first, three points for second, and one point for third) based on multiple factors like statistical performance (points, rebounds, and assists), impact on team success, role and responsibility on the team, and overall influence on the game.
The 2025 NBA draft has been one of the best drafts in the last couple of years. With multiple stars like Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and VJ Edgecombe who are big influences on their teams’ success in their own way and are currently the top 3 in the NBA rookie of the year race.
Kon Knueppel: Knueppel is a 6’5” guard/forward from Duke University and was drafted fourth overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2025 NBA Draft. Knueppel is one of the best three point shooters in the NBA right now, despite being only 20 years old. He has hit 143 three’s so far right behind Steph Curry (154 three’s) and Donovan Mitchell (153 three’s). Knueppel has also tied Luka Doncic as the two fastest players to get to 100 2-point field goals, 100 3-pointers and 100 free throws. Knueppel averages 19 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game with the Hornets, who are twelfth in the Eastern Conference with 17 wins and 28 losses. Kneuppel is first in the rookie of the year race.
Cooper Flagg: Cooper Flagg is a 6’7” forward from Duke University and was selected first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Due to being the number one recruit in high school, Flagg had huge expectations going into college and the NBA. In Flagg’s first NBA game, he dropped ten points and ten rebounds, but had a horrible shooting night, shooting 4-13, ending in a 125-92 loss against the Spurs. But over the course of the season, Flagg has surpassed expectations and has averaged 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, with a career high of 42 points against the Utah Jazz. Flagg broke Lebron James’ record for most points by a teenager in NBA history. Flagg is also 17th in NBA All-Star voting in the Western Conference. The Dallas Mavericks are 12th in the Western Conference with 19 wins and 27 losses.
VJ Edgecombe: Edgecombe is a 6’4” guard from Baylor University and was selected 3rd overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2025 NBA Draft. In Edgecombe’s first ever NBA game, he dropped 34 points, being the third ever rookie to have the most points dropped in a NBA game behind Frank Selvy (35 points), and Wilt Chamberlain (43 points). Edgecombe also added seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal, shooting 13-26 from the field, and 5-13 from 3 point-range. Edgecombe has been doing amazing averaging 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game, and has been crucial to Philadelphia’s sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with 24 wins and 20 losses, bringing great defense and offense in games.
All three rookies are doing amazing, and have been very crucial in their teams season, bringing defense when needed, being relaxed in tense situations, and making clutch shots in close-games. But, I think Cooper Flagg should win the NBA Rookie of the year. He has surpassed all expectations with his elite scoring ability against the best players, and being a leader when it matters most. He also has saved a lot of Mavericks fans from disappointment over to the Luka Doncic trade a year ago. Alongside this, he has been very helpful in the Mavericks winning games, even with them being 12th in the Western Conference. He is also from Newport, Maine, so I have to give some extra points for the New England representation.
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