For the first time since the 19-20 season, two stars have won Rookie of the Month for three straight months. Former Duke teammates and roommates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are setting new records as the race for the ROTY heats up. But a former NBA champion feels one of them could be robbed.

While watching Knueppel’s highlights in the Hornets’ 131-99 win on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls, Jeff Teague endorsed the Charlotte rookie. “Bro, he kills every game.” The former Bucks champion further added, “Man, if he’s not rookie of the year, he got robbed. They are actually winning games. He’s averaging 20 points down there.”

To make the case for Kon Knueppel, the Hornets compete for a play in spot, and he immediately formed a functional offense alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. But the biggest upside has been his shooting over 43 percent from three. In fifty-eight games, he already has more than two hundred 3-pointers. He has surpassed some of the game’s greatest snipers in their rookie seasons.

Damian Lillard hit 185 in his debut season, Steph Curry had 166, Ray Allen 117, Klay Thompson 111, James Harden 93, and Reggie Miller 61. The 20-year-old reached that milestone number faster than any player in NBA history and has another 20 games or so to keep rewriting the NBA rookie record book.

Kon Knueppel has now moved ahead in this week’s Kia Rookie Ladder. The Charlotte forward hit three of his six shots from deep Tuesday in the Hornets’ blowout victory in Chicago, upping his total to 201. Meanwhile, his former teammate, Cooper Flagg, remains injured, working his way back from a sprained left foot.

The two rookies have won three straight ROTM awards in their respective conferences. The last time it was Kendrick Nunn in the East and Ja Morant in the West during the 19-20 season. Before that, it was Luka Doncic and Trae Young sweeping the field for the entire season in 18-19. Now, the former Duke stars can also match this feat.

Is Cooper Flagg winning a robbery?

In this rivalry, they have shared the No. 1-2 spots almost the entire season. The first time Knueppel and Flagg met as rivals, they and their teams produced one of the highlight games of the season. The Hornets prevailed on Jan. 29 at Dallas’ American Airlines Center, with Knueppel scoring 34 points and draining 8-for-12 3-pointers. Flagg countered with a 49-point explosion, taking 29 shots and making 20, while grabbing 10 rebounds.

Over the season, he has 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to produce four consecutive performances of 30 points alongside five rebounds. Furthermore, he joined Allen Iverson as the only rookie to amass 150 or more points across any four-game stretch.

The Dallas star has been sitting on 999 total points, still second-most in his class despite his eight missed games. So, yes, Flagg’s stats are marginally better; his team is not competing, but the rookie is the first option on his team. Meanwhile, Kon Knueppel is shooting better beyond the arc, creating more records, and playing winning basketball. So, the race will go to the wire if both stars remain fit.