Mavericks’ PJ Washington Stunned By What Cooper Flagg Is Doing At 19

Cooper Flagg has thrust himself back into the Rookie of the Year conversation after a ridiculous start to April. There was a debate between him and Charlotte Hornets' Kon Knueppel, but Knueppel has been the favorite for the last month or so. Flagg then scored 51 points against the Orlando Magic on Friday night, then followed it up with 45 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Easter Sunday.

Those kinds of performances had the NBA world buzzing, and he has now retaken the odds to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Having the backing of his Dallas Mavericks teammates helps, too.

︀︀“I just don’t understand why anyone else can be Rookie of the Year," P.J. Washington said after Sunday's outburst. "He’s done everything. Especially at his age. The things he’s doing, it’s unbelievable… It’s two different ballparks… He’s 19 [years old], doing what he’s doing. Being the main guy is a lot harder than being a rotational player, hitting corner shots, or just hitting 3s. He’s initiating most of our offense. To be 19 doing that is unheard of.”

For the season, Flagg is now averaging 21.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.6 RPG, and 2.1 steals+blocks per game. He is somehow outperforming every expectation that was set for him, despite being the first overall pick. Being able to initiate offense like this as a wing, having never played point guard in his life, is truly special.

Mar 16, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) shares a moment with forward P.J. Washington (25) against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Tight Race for NBA Rookie of the Year

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Flagg is sitting with -195 odds for Rookie of the Year, while Kon Knueppel is at +155. The only other player even listed is VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers, who is at +50000. This is a two-man race between players having historic rookie seasons.

Knueppel is leading the NBA in three-pointers made and has set the Charlotte Hornets record for three-pointers in a season. He broke the league's record for threes made in a season weeks ago.

People also like to argue that Knueppel has had a bigger impact on winning than Flagg, as the Hornets have been one of the surprises of the NBA, but that's also due to Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball actually being healthy. Winning games also has never really mattered for this award.

Flagg just passed LeBron James for the most 40-point games by a teenager, has the most points in a game by a teenager in NBA history, and is the primary source of offense for his team, as P.J. Washington said. He's the better all-around player, while Knueppel is the better shooter on the better team, but they're both having historic seasons.

If it ends in a tie, nobody should be upset.

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