Mavericks' P.J. Washington Makes His Case For Cooper Flagg to Win Rookie of the Year

Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg was considered the heavy favorite to take home Rookie of the Year, but that has been waning in recent weeks, as Flagg has now missed 8 straight games with a midfoot sprain.

Meanwhile, his former roommate at Duke, Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets, has been on an absolute tear in recent weeks, including by setting the record for threes made by a rookie in a season, and there are still 20 games to go. And with the Hornets surging up the Eastern Conference standings, Knueppel has gained a lot of momentum. In fact, Knueppel has now overtaken Flagg as the favorite to take home the award, according to FanDuel.

After Tuesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets and Knueppel, a game where Knueppel had 13 points on 6/14 shooting, P.J. Washington made his case for Cooper Flagg to be the Rookie of the Year.

︀︀"I don't have to say anything. I think we all know Coop's a special player. He's been doing his thing all year," Washington said. "Obviously, when he gets back, he's going to do the same thing. He's going to continue to be special. We need him, and it shows, but him being his age and doing what he's doing, we don't really see too many guys doing that. It's no question."

Feb 27, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg looks on from the team bench during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg Will Need Strong Close to Season

Cooper Flagg was upgraded on the injury report ahead of the Mavs' game on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors to questionable, but it's not exactly a secret that he grew up a Boston Celtics fan, and the Mavs play at Boston on Friday on the second night of a back-to-back. If he is going to return soon, that seems like a good one to come back for.

Once Flagg does come back, he'll need to remind people who he is. It wasn't that long ago that he put up a season-high 49 points against those same Charlotte Hornets. Because the Hornets have had more team success and Knueppel has been healthy, that grip is slipping away.

Plus, the Rookie of the Year isn't a team award. It's just about who the best rookie is. Flagg is a more impactful two-way player and has been the most consistent offensive threat all season for the Mavs, but Knueppel could get that edge in the voting because of how well the team is playing.

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