Category: Basketball

The Dallas Mavericks capped off a rough season with a silver lining, as rookie phenom Cooper Flagg was named 2025-2026 NBA Rookie of the Year Monday night. In what was a polarizing race between he and Charlotte Hornets’ Kon Knueppel, we saw one of the most historic rookie campaigns from the former, pitted against one of the most efficient rookie shooting seasons from the latter.

A straw poll just days before the season ended had Knueppel winning the award, completely befuddling Mavs’ fans who thought their guy was the obvious winner. Whether or not a poor showing across two PlayIn Tournament games for Knueppel swayed some voters (it technically shouldn’t have factored into their decision, but unseeing something isn’t exactly realistic) is anyone’s guess. When all was said and done, Flagg grabbed 56 first place votes to Knueppel’s 44, it what was the second smallest margin of victory since the 2002-2003 season when the current voting format took effect.

Mavs’ fans got a little something to feel good about, and a very tight, intriguing race feels like it ended positively for all involved. Knueppel made a real name for himself and received a ton of recognition in the highly contested race, while Flagg’s truly remarkable (and in some cases, one of a kind) accomplishments earned him the highly coveted award.

Then, seemingly before the corks from the champagne bottles found their landing spot, we were given a take that was even more unpredictable than the Rookie of the Year race itself. Speaking on NBA Showtime Monday night, studio analyst and former NBA player Carmelo Anthony gave a surprisingly unexpected shoutout… to former Mavericks’ GM Nico Harrison.   

“Shout out to Nico Harrison for seeing this right here; for understanding this vision,” said Anthony, in what is likely one of the most far-fetched interpretations of a scenario you’re likely to see in a long time.

When I first heard the comments, my immediate instinct to cover the topic was quickly tamped down by the thought that bringing it any attention at all would only exacerbate the problem. Still, it is Mavericks-related news that is what we are here for. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I have no interest in squabbling about such things with a member of the media, allow me to offer a counter point: this is insane.

Anthony is basically suggesting that Nico Harrison’s trade of Luka Doncic was all part of an overarching vision to draft Cooper Flagg. That Harrison’s ability to see Flagg’s talent and choose him with the number one overall pick was a shoutout worthy effort. Break it down for a moment. Harrison traded Doncic for Anthony Davis in what was a win-now move that he expected to net Dallas at least one championship in the ensuing years. At no point, in any way, shape or form, was Harrison’s plan to tear the team down – a team coming off an NBA Finals appearance – so he could later draft Cooper Flagg and rebuild it. This is not subjective interpretation, but rather, it’s fact. Harrison so much as told us.

Further, Harrison could not have possibly predicted the incredibly bad injury luck the Mavs would encounter (although his personnel changes could have given him a hint of things to come), or that the Mavs’ 1.8% chance would actually put them in position to move up to the top spot in the draft. Once all of that did happen, it certainly was not a shoutout-worthy event to draft Flagg, the by-far consensus number one pick that year.

Anthony’s comments echo Harrison’s own absurd declaration after the Draft Lottery that got Dallas the top pick – something along the lines of “fortune favors the bold.” While that may be true, getting the number one pick was not the result of bold moves with intent. It was the result of extremely fortuitous lottery results on the heels of an epically disastrous post-trade outcome.

To be fair to Anthony, his fellow analysts chuckled (as did he), and none of them reacted with the stunned shock the commentary actually warranted. To that end, it would not surprise me if everyone was aware of what Anthony would deliver, and maybe he did it with tongue in cheek. Anthony and Vince Carter (who was sitting beside him) have a friendly relationship with Nico Harrison and have previously vocalized support for their friend during the unrelenting backlash he received in the post-trade era.

While showing support for your friend, especially in the off-chance it was deliberately facetious to a degree, is a noble gesture, re-writing actual reality into a ludicrous Bizarro World version of reality is plainly irresponsible. Not because Nico Harrison deserves to be treated like Hester Prynne for all time – he doesn’t; better to just move on – but because we should carry a responsibility to truth and this was not that, however much jest may have been baked in (if any). This all could have been time better spent commending the folks who truly did have the vision, and that is the award winner himself and his family who put in endless reps and tons of work to get to this point. That’s where the real story lies.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks

Two Lakers guards were fined by the NBA because of their criticism and interactions with the referees after Sunday’s Game 4 loss to the Rockets.

The league announced on Monday that Marcus Smart was fined $35,000 for “questioning the integrity of game officials”, while Luke Kennard was fined $25,000 for “directing inappropriate language toward game officials”.

Smart said after Sunday’s loss in the best-of-seven first round series, which the Lakers are leading 3-1, that Deandre Ayton’s ejection midway through the third quarter was “BS” after Ayton was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Alperen Sengun in the head.

“That’s what we felt,” Smart added. “He was just trying to brace himself. Two guys who are sweating their butts off playing the game, arm slips up, right? But we’re proud of the way he handled it, and I think that just speaks volume about who he is and his progression.”

Kennard was in the midst of a postgame verbal back-and-forth between the Lakers and Rockets.

“Hilarious, very hilarious,” Smart said of the postgame scene.

After the final buzzer sounded the Lakers had words with several Rockets players and the officials. Including Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt. JJ, Luka, and Austin Reaves also went to talk to the head official James Williams pic.twitter.com/xyLBEWF3mB

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 27, 2026

Game 5 of the Lakers-Rockets series is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.

After a remarkably bad showing from the officials in Sunday’s Game 4, punishments have been handed out…

….to the Lakers.

Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard were handed fines of $35,000 and $25,000, respectively, for separate issues involving the officials. Smart’s fine came for “questioning the integrity of game officials,” while Kennard’s was “for directing inappropriate language toward officials.”

Kennard’s incident likely came at the end of the game. During the little altercation between the two teams, Kennard also yelled some expletives at the officials, which lip readers will be able to pick up.

As for Smart’s, it’s a bit more unclear. The phrasing of his fine usually comes after a player criticizes officials to the media postgame. However, this was basically as critical he was of the officials when talking about Deandre Ayton’s questionable ejection.

“Then, obviously, the ejection, we all understood it was some BS,” Smart said. “That’s what we felt. He was just trying to brace himself. Two guys who are sweating their butts off playing the game, his arm slips up, right? But we’re proud of the way he handled and I think that just speaks volumes about who he is and just his progression.

“He’s learning and he could have just as easily – it probably would have been justifiable if he went off. But to keep his composure and stay positive, I think it’s only going to help him and his team.”

Relatively speaking, that’s a pretty tame criticism of officiating and doesn’t feel like one that warrants a fine. He, too, could have said something to the officials on the floor, but that’s typically going to result in phrasing that came with Kennard’s fine.

Nevertheless, this is now $95,000 in fines in the last four days tied to James Williams and his officiating crew. Devin Booker was also handed a $35,000 fine for calling out Williams by name in his postgame presser.

In that instance, the league also rescinded all the technical fouls handed out that game. This time, it doesn’t appear that move came with the fines. But it’s pretty clear this officiating crew shouldn’t officiate another postseason game.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The NBA has announced 71 players have filed as early entry candidates for the draft in June – reportedly the smallest number of players in more than two decades.

Yet, just five years ago, the NBA announced 363 players had filed as early entry candidates – reportedly the highest number in league history. And the numbers have dipped every year since then.

There’s little mystery behind the trend. The Name Image and Likeness (NIL) era began in July 2021, allowing college athletes to cash in like never before. Clearly, it’s made staying in school more appealing for players not guaranteed to be picked high enough – or at all – during the two-round NBA draft that determines a rookie's salary. The year's draft will be held June 23-24.

Last year, Cooper Flagg, by virtue of getting picked No.1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, was guaranteed a four-year deal worth more than $62 million, according to spotrac. Getting picked No. 30, the last pick of the first round, guaranteed a four-year deal worth $14 million, according to spotrac.

By contrast, not all second-round picks are guaranteed contracts.

Rasheer Fleming, the top second-round pick last year, was guaranteed about $6 million for a four-year, $8.7 million contact, according to spotrac.

Those who go undrafted, good luck.

Landry Shamet’s tumble out of the Knicks rotation was a multistep process.

Sure, his struggles — during both the postseason and end of the regular season — played a factor.

Since March 1, he has shot 26-for-86 (30.2 percent) from 3-point range.

He played 18 and 10 minutes in the first two games against the Hawks before logging three minutes in Game 3 and not entering Game 4 until garbage time. 

Jose Alvarado has usurped him in the rotation. 

“It’s a little bit of a story of how it evolved,” coach Mike Brown said after practice Monday. “We won Game 1 with Landry as the backup point guard. I made a shift in Game 2 and put ‘Deuce’ [Miles McBride] as the backup point guard, and it threw our guys off a little bit when they came out on the floor. So we needed a true point guard on the floor to settle us once we got a little bit discombobulated. And when we threw Jose out there, he played well. And so I gave him another opportunity and then another, and he played well. So that’s kind of where we are. 

“I said this before: Everybody has to be ready to play because anybody’s number can be called at any time. Similar to Jordan Clarkson during the course of the year, Jose wasn’t playing at the end of the year. He didn’t play the first game of the playoffs. But he stayed present, and when his number was called, he performed.”

Jalen Brunson said he spoke with Donte DiVincenzo, who ruptured his Achilles tendon during the Timberwolves’ Game 4 win over the Nuggets on Saturday. 

Brunson has a long history with DiVincenzo, with whom he was teammates on both the Knicks and Villanova. 

“He seemed in good spirits,” Brunson said Monday. “He’s formulating a plan, and [I] wish him nothing but the best. It sucks to see it. Honestly, after [the Knicks’ Game 4], that was like the first thing I heard, and looked it up and saw it. That’s my brother. Tough to see, but he’ll be back stronger.”

The Knicks have a clean injury report for Game 5, while Jock Landale (high ankle sprain) remains out for the Hawks. 

Brunson briefly went to the locker room during the third quarter of Game 4 after Dyson Daniels fell on his left leg, but returned later in the quarter. 

Monday, Brunson said his leg feels “great.” 

Cooper Flagg just pulled off a Kon job. 

The Mavericks star narrowly defeated his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year honors on Monday night, beating him out by 26 points in the voting. 

“I was watching Kon just because that’s one of my brothers,” Flagg told NBC after he was named Rookie of the Year. “We have that connection and we’re always going to be there for each other.

“I was watching him as a fan as well, but there’s also going to be that competition at the same time.”

Flagg became the first rookie since Michael Jordan during the 1984-85 season to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. The forward also led all rookies in scoring during the 2025-26 season

The 19-year-old had averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals this year. 

The voting was expected to be close after the two former Blue Devils had impressive rookie seasons.

Flagg received 56 first-place votes and Knueppel received 44 first-place votes, with other finalist V.J. Edgecombe not receiving any first-place votes. 

Knueppel had averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists during his first year in the league with the Hornets. He had also set the rookie record for 3-pointers made with a league-best 273. 

Knueppel was taken with the fourth overall pick in the draft last year and helped Charlotte reach the NBA Play-In Tournament, where his side eventually fell to the Magic. 

Flagg went first overall to the Mavericks and saw his team go 26-56 during the 2025-26 campaign. 

The teen became the youngest player in league history to record games with 35, 40, 45 and 50 points. 

He also became the youngest player to have at least 10 assists in a game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had chances to take a decisive 3-1 lead over the Toronto Raptors in Game 4. They had an eight-point advantage with five minutes to play, but squandered the lead with a combination of bad defense, reckless decisions, and missed point-blank shots. This all added up to a 93-89 loss with the series tied at two games apiece.

Likewise, the referees didn’t have a great close to the game. According to the Last Two Minute Report, they missed seven calls down the stretch. Four should’ve gone against the Cavs while three should’ve gone against the Raptors.

Let’s get into all seven.

First, Evan Mobley should’ve been called for a defensive three-second violation with 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. This would’ve resulted in a free throw and Toronto keeping possession.

This possession for the Raptors ended up in two points thanks to a shooting foul by James Harden and two made free throws by Brandon Ingram.

The second missed call also benefited the Cavs. Donovan Mitchell should’ve been called for a double dribble with 1:36 remaining because he pinned the ball against his leg.

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The replay clearly shows this happened. Mitchell should’ve either thrown this out to the corner or dumped it off to Mobley. It seems like he was going to do that, but something caused him to change his mind. The poor decision resulted in a missed shot. Even though the double dribble wasn’t called, the outcome of this play was the same for Toronto.

The third missed call happened at the 1:08 mark and also went in the Cavs’ favor. Harden should’ve been called for an offensive foul. The league found that he pushed off of Jamal Shead, which created a wide-open 14-foot jumper. Harden missed this.

Even though this was a missed call, the result on the floor was the same. This was an empty possession for Cleveland regardless. Since this wasn’t a loose-ball foul, it wouldn’t have resulted in free throws the other way.

The fourth blown call benefited the Raptors and completely changed the momentum of the game. Mitchell’s eight-second violation caused this game to completely get away from the Cavs. And it shouldn’t have happened. Instead, this should’ve been a foul on Shead.

The league stats: “Sheed moves forward into Mitchell’s path and delivers body to body contact prior to making any contact with the ball.”

Shead made a heads-up play to charge Mitchell, but he does get the body first. He goes through Mitchell to poke the ball free. This should’ve been a foul.

If this were called correctly on the floor, the Cavs would’ve gotten two free throws. Mitchell would’ve had a chance to make it a three-point game. Instead, Toronto came down the court and retook the lead.

The fifth also hurt the Cavs.

With Cleveland down one with 34 seconds left, Sam Merrill should’ve been awarded a free throw with the Cavs keeping possession. Collin Murray-Boyles committed an off-ball foul by throwing him to the ground with 34 seconds left.

The report states: “Murray-Boyles moves into Merrill’s path and delivers contact that affects his FOM (freedom of movement). The contact occurs prior to the release of the inbound pass, and an away from the play foul is warranted.”

The sixth missed call technically benefited Cleveland.

Max Strus should’ve been called for a personal foul after Brandon Ingram rebounded Mitchell’s missed three with 23 seconds remaining. Strus knocked the ball out of bounds. The Cavs fouled Barnes a few seconds later.

The final missed call also disadvantaged Merrill. He should’ve been awarded a free throw after Barnes grabbed during a long two-point make with six seconds remaining.

If this game were called correctly, the Raptors would’ve been awarded one more free-throw attempt, while the Cavs should’ve received four additional free throws. That hurts in a game that was this close.

The Cavs have no one to blame but themselves for the loss. They should’ve won this game even with the calls that went against them. That said, it’s frustrating to be on the wrong end of calls that directly influenced the outcome of a pivotal playoff game. The referees needed to be better than they were.

In the week leading up to their series against the Rockets, the Lakers repeatedly emphasized the importance of taking care of the ball.

Despite being up 3-1 in the series, there have been very few moments where it’s felt like the Lakers have taken that message to heart. With 80 turnovers in the four contests, no team has given the ball away more than LA this postseason.

While it was an underlying issue in the victories, it moved into the forefront after Sunday’s Game 4 defeat. The Lakers turned the ball over 23 times, leading to 30 points for the Rockets. While every game is more complex than a single aspect determining the outcome, it’s hard not to point to the giveaways as a big reason LA was unable to complete the sweep.

“We’ll spend a lot of time over the next couple of days just figuring out ways to try to prevent some of those turnovers,” head coach JJ Redick said postgame.

It’s unclear how much relief should come with the Lakers vowing to find a solution when they made it a point of emphasis from the jump and it’s remained an issue. It’s also unclear how much they can realistically change.

At the end of the day, the Lakers personnel is what it is. Their two lead ballhandlers are out and the two guards replacing them are not natural point guards. LeBron James has shown, even dating back to last year, that his handle is not what it used to be either.

That being said, there were also plenty of turnovers the Lakers had on Sunday that weren’t related to ballhandling but a lack of focus.

“Majority of them was mental,” Marcus Smart said of the turnovers. “We were dropping passes, myself included. I was throwing passes to guys’ legs. Normal passes that we make on a regular basis, right? It’s something we have to clean up. We know it. We understand it.

“It’s not going to get easier. We understand that. But we’ve played this team for four games now and the first three, we did very well. We understand it. We just have to continue to stay poised and get through it.”

Perhaps the Lakers winning the early games despite the turnovers led to them turning a blind eye to the problem. I certainly wouldn’t say the Lakers did “very well” about turnovers prior to Game 4. They just did enough in other areas that those didn’t cost them.

This team, as constructed, has a much smaller margin for error due to injuries. When they turn the ball over to the degree they did in Game 4, it takes near-perfection in every other aspect of the game to win. It’s not a viable path to victory.

The return of Austin Reaves could help alleviate some of the woes. At the very least, it gives the Lakers a player who is more comfortable handling the ball than someone like Jake LaRavia or even Smart and Luke Kennard.

But at the end of the day, the Lakers simply just have to be better at taking care of the ball if they want any chance of closing out this series.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Game 4.

Is this the end?

Well, here we are. I’m not worried, are you? Who cares anyway? Just because the Detroit Pistons had one of the winningest seasons in franchise history. And Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren entered All-NBA conversation. The No. 1 seed? Big deal. Why should that mean your team can be the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic? The Pistons face a 2-1 deficit on the road. They are still waiting for Duren to show his face in this playoff series. Trying to keep its turnovers down before the two dozen threshold. Daniss Jenkins has pumpkined in the playoffs, and the fan base is in existential crisis. Let’s have some fun watching playoff basketball.

Game Vitals

When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida
Watch: Peacock/NBC
Odds: Pistons -3.5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (1-2)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Orlando Magic (2-1)

Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.

It’s a mindset that the Knicks believe helped them change course in the series. But it’s also a mindset that can be difficult to recreate when the circumstances don’t match it. 

After their Game 4 rout of the Hawks on Saturday — which evened the series at 2-2 — multiple Knicks pointed to a level of “desperation” and “urgency” that they played with, having entered the game trailing 2-1 in the series. Beforehand, Miles McBride said they felt like they were “playing for our lives.” 

And it was noticeable, as the Knicks came out with a tenacity that had gone missing earlier in the series. But returning home to Madison Square Garden with the series tied, it could be difficult to manufacture that mindset without the weight of a deficit. 

“No, this is what we work all year for, what you work all summer for, for an opportunity to play in the playoffs,” Jalen Brunson said after practice Monday. “There’s not a lot of motivation left that’s needed, really. It’s just, this is the opportunity for teams to go and put their names in history if they want it. So, that’s the only motivation.”

This Knicks core has been a group that constantly seems to need a bit of a wake-up call before they get their act together. During the regular season, there were the constant slow starts to games, which often didn’t end up hurting them due to their status as the best fourth-quarter team in the league. They had to endure a stretch in which they lost nine of 11 before they got back to looking like how a contender is supposed to look. In this series, they had to fall behind 2-1 before delivering their best performance of the season.

It’s like they need to face a bit of adversity to play their best. 

“I believe they’re ready,” coach Mike Brown said Monday. “This group’s a relentless group. They’re an experienced group. They perform best, it seems, when their backs are against the wall. So I believe our guys are ready.”

Playing well when their backs are against the wall is an admirable trait, but the repeated need for a wake-up call is something that can certainly come back to bite them. In the regular season, when teams are more so going through the motions, they found it easier to overcome early deficits and step on the gas when needed. 

In the playoffs, where intensity is higher and opposition is better, a lack of intensity from the jump is much harder to overcome — as proven by their failed comeback attempt in Game 3. 

Maintaining the right mindset throughout an entire game is something that has largely eluded this core going on two seasons now. 

“It has to be even higher, honestly. … We just have to have a higher level of desperation because we know they’re not gonna come in and try to ease into this game,” McBride said Monday. 

“This is the playoffs. Nobody’s just gonna hand you a win, hand you a game. Obviously, our two losses were very close games. But you don’t lose the games always at the end of games. It’s a possession here in the first half, or you missed a box-out or somebody did a run to the lane and there wasn’t anybody to kick it out to. It was the little things like that that we’re more focused on and have to be focused on going forward.”

The experience advantage is one area the Knicks do have an edge over the Hawks. Younger teams — particularly underdogs like the Hawks — can find it hard to keep their emotions in check and instead play out of control. That the Knicks have been there, done that is supposed to give them a leg up. 

So, balancing that sense of desperation with poise is important. 

“Experience teaches you a lot,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after Game 4. “Just because we won one game, the playoffs is always, you win a game, you’re the best team in the world; the highs are high. And when you lose, you’re the low of lows and the worst team ever. So, just staying on the way and being in the middle ground and just consistently trying to find ways to get better and improve as the series moves along. Next game is gonna be the most important game, the most desperation we need to present to the fans and to ourselves.”

Play desperate, but also play under control. 

That is the pendulum in front of the Knicks. 

Monday was a great day for Duke Basketball and the Brotherhood, as Cooper Flagg won the NBA Rookie of the Year award over former Blue Devil teammate Kon Knueppel.

Flagg won 412-386. VJ Edgecombe came in third, with 96 points.

It was crazy to watch Flagg dominate players who, in some cases, were 10-15 years older than he was. His future seems limitless, and that’s true for Knueppel as well. The conversation around that guy has changed dramatically. Remember when he was seen as a stretch at the #4 pick? Not so much anymore.

Congratulations to both guys. They’re great representatives of Duke.

• NBA announces Rookie of the Year winner between Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel
• Cooper Flagg edges former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year
• Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg named 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year
• Hornets’ Kon Knueppel falls short in Rookie of the Year voting to Cooper Flagg
• Cooper Flagg Wins 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year Award over Kon Knueppel, Full Voting Results
• Cooper Flagg tops Kon Knueppel for ROY honors in tight race
• Cooper Flagg named 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year, Knueppel finishes as runner-up
• Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg: Brings home ROY honors
• Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg beats out Kon Knueppel in heated Rookie of the Year race
• Why Cooper Flagg won NBA Rookie of the Year over college teammate Kon Knueppel in tight vote

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The NBA announced on Monday night that Dallas Mavericks do-everything forward Rookie of the Year for the 2025-26 season. Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 33.5 minutes per game in 70 games in 2025-26. He started every single game in his rookie campaign.

Flagg joins former Maverick Luka Doncic and current head coach Jason Kidd as award winners, with Doncic winning the 2018-19 season and Kidd splitting the award with Grant Hill during the 1994-95 season.

He became the third rookie of the last 45 years to average at least 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, joining Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic. Flagg joins Michael Jordan as the only rookies to lead their teams in points, rebounds, assists, and steals since steals were added to the record book in 1973-74. He led all rookies in 25-point games, 30-point games, 35-point games, 40-point games, and had the first 50-point game for a rookie since Brandon Jennings.

It was a tightly contested race between Flagg and his former Duke roommate Kon Knueppel. Flagg finished with 55 first-place votes and 44 second-place votes. This narrowly edged out Knueppel in one of the more debated about Rookie of the Year races in several years.

Oddly, many in the national media, namely those who value advanced metrics, insisted that Knueppel was the Rookie of the Year and that the race was not remotely close. Of course, the final tally of votes says otherwise, but Knueppel did have a wildly efficient season, leading the league in made three pointers and helping lift a Charlotte Hornets team out of the league’s basement.

The argument for Kon boiled down to team success and efficiency. The argument for Flagg relied more on traditional counting stats paired with role; Flagg was the best Dallas player, thrust into that role after Anthony Davis went down and Kyrie Irving out for the season. What Mavericks fans were treated to was a rookie season that may well be better than Luka Doncic’s. Flagg scored 51 in a game!

In the end, the Rookie of the Year race was a bright spot for the hardcore Mavericks fans who stuck with the team despite many losses and occasional bad basketball. Hopefully, this award is the first of many at the NBA level for a player who seems on the path to superstardom.