Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Help Rookies Thrive in Thursday Night Slate

Fresh off the finale of the NBA Cup, the league saw a loaded slate on Thursday night, with several of the association’s top newbies playing.

There’s were tons of great outings, highlighted by a trio of top-five selections. Below are some of the top rookies performances from last night, with a few honorable mentions below:

Cooper Flagg vs. Pistons

After a slower start to his debut season, the league’s top pick in Cooper Flagg has begun to heat up lately. He saw a 42-point outing against Utah, followed up by a much-needed 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists versus Detroit Thursday.

Even more than the solid output, the Mavericks were able to take down Dallas, 116-114, getting one of their bigger wins of the season.

Flagg shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, managing to add three blocks and a steal too in one of the best games of his short career.

Dylan Harper vs. Wizards

No. 2 pick Dylan Harper joined a loaded backcourt featuring Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox, though he’s still been able to make his mark, especially of late.

After a 21-point game versus New York in the NBA Cup final, Harper turned right around and scored his career high of 24 versus Washington. He shot a blistering 9-for-13 overall, and hit three of his five 3-pointers, and a recent trend. He tacked on five rebounds and three assists to boot in the blowout win over the Wizards.

Harper led the Spurs in scoring Thursday night, showcasing what he could look like on a nightly basis once fully developed.

Kon Knueppel vs. Hawks

The Hornets’ No. 4 pick in Kon Knueppel, who was briefly the Rookie of the Year odds leader, saw potentially the best night among all rookies.

In a takedown of Trae Young’s Atlanta Hawks, Knueppel scored 28 points on 10-for-17 shooting, hitting a mind-bending six of his 12 attempted triples. He also managed seven assists, five rebounds and three steals.

Flagg’s re-taken the spotlight as the potential ROY-winner, though Knueppel’s rookie season shouldn’t be undersold. His output and efficiency are nearly unheard of for a player such as him, and he’s a major part of why the ’25 draft class is looked at fondly right now.

The night was largely highlighted by the draft's top picks, though several more rookies saw nice outings:

Honorable mentions: Jase Richardson vs. Nuggets; Derik Queen vs. Rockets; Maxime Raynaud vs. Trail Blazers