When was the last time a pair of rookies had the NBA community on edge? This season, these two former Duke roommates did exactly that without fail. Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel went from striving together with the Blue Devils to competing for the most prestigious prize a rookie can win. There had been genuine conversations about them being co-winners for Rookie of the Year. Then, considering the Dallas Mavericks’ lowly season, Knueppel appeared to have gathered more public support towards the end. In fact, Hornets coach Charles Lee even said, “I don’t even think it’s close.” But the final results will shock you.

Let’s understand the chronology. Flagg was an outright favorite even before playing a single NBA minute. He is touted as a generational prospect. However, he was forced to operate on an injury-laden Mavericks team, without seasoned pros Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis around him. Still, Flagg stood out in whatever he was tasked to do. He finished the season averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks. And a substantial chunk of media voters appear to have only paid heed to this before casting their vote. It was the No. 1 pick who edged out his college pal…

Flagg, thanks to a sensational run at the end of the season, swayed a little over half the voters away from Knueppel. The Mavericks forward received 56 first-place votes, each worth five points, and 44 second-place votes that are worth three points. On the other hand, Knueppel finished with 44 first-place votes and 55 second-place votes. No other rookie on the list, including the 76ers’ super-special VJ Edgecombe, received a first-place vote. A total of 12 first-place votes separated Flagg and Knueppel. That’s how close the race was. And this verdict has largely divided the NBA fanbase.

Simply because Knueppel was the missing link that unlocked the Hornets’ young core. With him playing 81 games, Charlotte recorded the most wins since the 2015-16 season. They won 25 more games than last season, falling one play-in game short of making the playoffs. He led the league in three-point makes, with 273, while setting the rookie record for most triples made, surpassing Keegan Murray’s total of 206 from 2022-23.

After both Flagg and Knueppel have had phenomenal seasons, this final ROTY verdict has divided the hoops fanbase, with the Mavericks star’s fans waging war over the Hornets rookie’s support group. The most common narrative being that of a robbery. Have a look.

Is the NBA Rookie of the Year result fair? A last-minute factor that may have dampened Knueppel’s case…

“What r—-d gave Kon a third place vote take their d—–s opinion out of this voting,” an angry viewer wrote once the vote breakdown was published. That one second-place vote went to VJ Edgecombe. Albeit it wouldn’t have changed the result, as Kon Knueppel would have ended with 388 points rather than 386. Above him, Cooper Flagg finished with 412, taking a convincing lead. Only a 26-point gap separated the top two finalists, and the only closer NBA Rookie of the Year vote margin was in 2002-03 between Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley (15-point margin) in 2022.

Interestingly, they faced each other only once this season, in January. In that game, Flagg recorded 49 points while Knueppel scored 34, edging a narrow 2-point win. Some fans felt the voters made a grave error with their rankings.

“I knew y’all would cheat Kon smh,” a fan wrote. The argument stems from a team success standpoint. It’s among the top criteria when discussing the MVP. In the case of rookies, it’s more relaxed. Yet, Knueppel played a vital role in revitalizing the Hornets, who went 18-9 after the All-Star break to secure a play-in opportunity. Many controversially feel it’s the Hornets star’s struggles after the regular season that influenced the voting at the last second.

“So at least 7 people’s votes were affected by the play-in. Revoke their votes,” a fan wrote. Now, according to the rules, voters weren’t supposed to consider any postseason action. But… ballots weren’t due until after the Play-In was underway, because the NBA needed extra time to make a ruling on which players would be eligible for end-of-season awards under the 65-game rule!

In the regular season, Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting a blazing 42.5% from beyond the arc. He plugged in as the spacer, allowing LaMelo Ball and Brandin Miller to link up better than they had in their previous years together. That’s why some fans felt it: “Should have been Kon.”

However, let’s not dismiss Flagg. From a difficulty standpoint, he had the weight of the entire Mavericks franchise on his shoulders. Yet, he displayed readiness that’s rarely seen in a 19-year-old. He scored 30 or more eleven times in 70 games. Flagg also set the record for the most points scored by a teenager in the NBA, with 51 against the Orlando Magic. He was handed the franchise keys and delivered on an individual front.

Now, fans argue that Knueppel averaged only slightly less output while serving as the third option. “So missing a chunk of the season and stat padding on a bottom-of-the-barrel team is rewarded…interesting,” a viewer wrote. Knueppel raised the Hornets into a competitive team. In an unsurprising comparison, the Mavericks won 18 fewer games, finishing as the 12 seed in the Western Conference.

At the end of the day, it really could have gone to anyone. Flagg rose beyond what was expected, matching up against the best talent in the league at just 19. In fact, he became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Knueppel plugged and turned the Hornets around with his spacing and elite three-point shooting.

Statistically, they weren’t far apart. One was asked to do more, while the other was held back in the pursuit of success. Whichever way you see it, there was going to be a divide.