Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Leading NBA in Impressive Statistic

We are nearing the end of Cooper Flagg's fantastic rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks. Even with him being the first overall pick, he has exceeded expectations, and while he may not win Rookie of the Year due to a historic season from Kon Knueppel, that shouldn't discount the season Flagg has had.

Flagg was once again brilliant on Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets, putting up 26 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, a block, and no turnovers on 10/18 shooting. It's his second game of the season with at least 25/5/5 and no turnovers this season, which pushes him into a tie for first for most such games this year. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Donovan Mitchell are the only other players to do that this season.

There are only 9 games left in this season for the Mavs, and Flagg suffered a hard fall late in Wednesday's game, having his hand in a wrap afterwards because of it. That may impact his availability in Friday's game, but he's trying to make a late push for Rookie of the Year.

As of Thursday afternoon, Knueppel is still the favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook to win Rookie of the Year at -180, but Flagg is charging hard at +140. With a strong close to the season, Flagg could catch up to his former Duke teammate.

Flagg is currently leading the Mavericks in total points, assists, rebounds, field goals made, and free throws made, and is just one steal behind Naji Marshall for the most steals on the team. He's also not too far behind Daniel Gafford in total blocks. For a rookie to be that productive and valuable is nothing short of incredible.

Cooper Flagg leads the entire NBA this season in games with 25/5/5 and 0 TOV. pic.twitter.com/rzCmKiRY8y
— Real App (@realapp) March 26, 2026

What Does Cooper Flagg Need To Do To Win Rookie of the Year?

A big argument for why Kon Knueppel deserves to win Rookie of the Year is because of the success of the Charlotte Hornets, as they're a whopping 23-7 in their last 30 games. The Mavericks have 23 wins total. That's a stark contrast, and the Hornets are now four games over .500. They're a feel-good story, while the Mavs have been one of the biggest disappointments of the season.

If Flagg can keep up his recent stretch of play, though, he may do just enough. Or, we could see the first instance of a tie for the award since 2000, when Elton Brand and Steve Francis tied. Jason Kidd and Grant Hill also tied in 1995.

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