Dallas Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg was the clear Rookie of the Year favorite a couple of months ago, but after missing eight games from a left midfoot sprain suffered on February 10, former college teammate and roommate Kon Knueppel has taken the mantle in this race. Flagg still has 12 games left to make a case for himself, and as great a relationship as he and Knueppel have off the court, it's undeniable that the two uber-competitive rookies will have a great rivalry for years to come.
Flagg recently teased this in a sit-down interview with ESPN journalist Malika Andrews when asked about Dallas' matchup with the Charlotte Hornets and his 49-point outing versus the Hornets on January 29, "That was one of, if not the most fun games of the year for me… Obviously would have loved to win it, but it was still a really fun game.