Jan 09, 2026
3 min read
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NBA ROKE I RAKINGS: Flagg Anra Knueppel Pro Summo Maculture
As the 2025-26 NBA season approaches the halfway point, here's a look at the top five candidates for the Rookie of the Year award.
|GP |PTS |REB |AST |FG% |3PT% |FT% |
|34 |13,7 |6,6 |2,9 |47,1 |32,9 |84,5 |
Coward was drafted 11th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for the No.16 pick Yang Hansen and draft pick.There were fears about the offensive lineman after playing just six games at Washington State his junior year, but the shooting guard dismissed the doubters who started it.Now he looks like a steal for a Grizzlies franchise looking for a new lease of life after various injuries and early season talk with Ja Morant.
Coward hit the ground running and is now part of the Grizzlies' first five games.The 22-year-old became the first in franchise history to make at least six 3-pointers without a miss in a stunning 27-point performance against the Indiana Pacers on Oct.
|GP |PTS |REB |BLK |FG% |3PT% |FT% |
|36 |13,1 |7 |4 |49,9 |20 |77,4 |
The Queens standout can take some solace in his rookie campaign after the New Orleans Pelicans front office scoffed for trading up 10 spots to select a strong big team out of No. 13 Maryland.
An old-school, slippery center in Zach Randolph's design, Queen has shown an impressive blend of power and skill while getting a start for New Orleans.He leads all freshmen in tackles and blocks and has shown some moves and footwork in the post.He is averaging 15.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 blocks in his last 12 games.His defensive rating (119.1) is second only to teammate Jeremiah Fiers among all first-year players who play 25 or more minutes.
|General Practitioner|PTS |Reb |Aspartate Aminotransferase |Hit Rate % |3PT% |FT% |
|30 |16.5 |5.4 |4.1 |43.2 |38.7 |77.5 |
It's not often that one of your top three players joins a team with three true stars, but Edgecombe did just that, creating an all-star quartet with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George.The latter two players had very good seasons due to injuries, and Edgecombe helped fill the performance gap by leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a top-six finish in the East.The Baylor product is among the freshmen in minutes.He is first in assists (35.8) and steals (1.4) and third in points scored in 30 appearances.
The attention the Maxey-Embiid two-man game has received has created opportunities for Edgecombe, though the 19-year-old deserves credit for becoming more of a perimeter threat: "Coming out of college, I was told he was a bad shooter. He's been a great 3-point shooter since he got here," Embiid said after Edgecomb went 4-of-9 against New York on Saturday. "We all believed that," added teammate Quentin Grimes.
|GP |PTS |REB |AST |GF% |3%% |%FT |
|35 |19.5 |5.1 |3.5 |48.3 |43.5 |87.9 |
Even the biggest Knuppel fan couldn't have predicted it.For starters, Knopel is on pace to become the most prolific three-point shooter in NBA history.He has made 127 shots from deep in 35 games, quickly breaking Keegan Murray's rookie record (206).He is also one of only three players, along with Maxey and Jamal Murray, to make 115 or more 3-pointers while shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc.Knuppel already has.One of the league's best three-point shooters.
But there is more in his arsenal.He leads all rookies in scoring and is on pace to become the first rookie since Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond (1989) to shoot 46 percent or better and average 19 or more points.Knuppel is also good at making lightning quick decisions, which will benefit the Charlotte Hornets offense, who can match up in dribble, pass, and drive scenarios.Knueppel puts his teammates in positive positions - something Charlotte lacks.
|GP |PTS |REB |AST |FG% |3PT% |FT% |
|35 |18.9 |6.4 |4.1 |47.6 |27.1 |81.3 |
The only thing keeping Knueppel from Rookie of the Year honors is former teammate Duke Flagg.Despite an up-and-down start, in part due to the Dallas Mavericks' chaotic environment and injuries to key players, Flagg found his footing at the professional level.He's gotten better every month, going from 17.8 points per game on 47.7% shooting in November to 23.5 points on 51.6% shooting in December.He also shot 33.3% from deep last month, down from 25.3% in October and November.
During his year at Duke, Flagg overcame a slow start, and this season is no different.After starting most of the Mavs' offense early on, he benefited from playing with two guards.This reduced Flagg's playmaking responsibilities and put him in more off-ball action, which allowed him to attack more easily and contribute more in transition.It also allows him to capitalize on mismatches, an area where NBA-level talent already excels.Against.
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