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Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins and Jay Williams join Shae Cornette on First Take to discuss Dallas Mavericks’ rookie phenom Cooper Flagg and fellow Duke Blue Devil Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: #ESPN #NBA
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@gal3930
February 19, 2026 at 2:03 pm
1:40 havent seen this since Lebron? Mind you go inform yourself first. Check Luka’s or Wemby’s rookie stats
@JamanWashington
February 19, 2026 at 9:28 pm
So stats matter right? It’s a trick question. Do u stand by that
@sadiejohn7753
February 19, 2026 at 2:05 pm
i love KON to win but , its for the a image of the League , gonna be COOP hope co rookies is viable tho Kon was scoring 25+ when mello was injured
@combat_sports_fan
February 19, 2026 at 4:44 pm
and Cooper was scoring 30+ in the games when AD was out lol this point is mute
@DrJack-xn1rn
February 19, 2026 at 5:21 pm
@combat_sports_fan Nope. AD and Cooper played 14 games together and Cooper averaged 18.8 ppg. Stop lying to people.
@giffondhall9214
February 19, 2026 at 2:15 pm
It’s Flagg hands down the hornets have a better roster!
@muddeer5383
February 19, 2026 at 2:25 pm
knueppel is below average defender. flagg is the clear front runner for the ROY
@crash1984
February 19, 2026 at 2:25 pm
VJ EDGECOMB.
@kapikopi1
February 19, 2026 at 3:15 pm
pops
@crash1984
February 19, 2026 at 3:18 pm
@kapikopi1?
@iec7587
February 19, 2026 at 3:33 pm
He will finish 3rd
@rajmathew6220
February 19, 2026 at 2:27 pm
SAS developing cognitive issues in his old age
@boristeplitskiy7632
February 19, 2026 at 2:50 pm
I think the most telling sign the Cooper Flagg is the rookie of the year is not by the teams performance but more on watching the games I’ve watched every single Dallas Mavericks game this season and I’m not going to speak on con as much because I haven’t seen every single game from the Hornets, but Cooper Flagg is the initiator of the offense. He is the guy making the place he’s drawn double and triple teams he’s distributing a high clip he’s playing unbelievable defense as a rookie and his numbers are going up trending upward. He had a historic month. He had a historic run. This the start of 2026 numbers in 2026 are looking All-Star like not rookie of the year All-Star like so I know it’s a short span of 25 thirtyish games but this is what’s unlocked. Going forward with Cooper Flagg look at his first 20 games as a shooter and it wasn’t great. His numbers were down now he’s shooting the ball at a way more efficient clip from perimeter that he’s putting up way higher numbers. He’s drawing a lot of free throws. He is playing. You know well above the rim and very efficient at the rim. This guy is pulling up All-Star numbers as a rookie, and I think that that means that he is the rookie of the year.
@_Mercy101
February 19, 2026 at 2:53 pm
Flagg!
@boristeplitskiy7632
February 19, 2026 at 2:57 pm
If they’re gonna do the one on 1212 competition, we gotta get rid of the dumb contest don’t contest. We all know this it’s heavily under performing underwhelming. We’ve seen almost everything that can hum humanly be completed. Granted there are better dunkers out there doing inhumane things every single day but it seems like with the competition we have in the league. They’re not willing to do inhumane things so we have had a peak with competition and there’s not much you could do to change the format of the dunk contest, especially to motivate players that it really comes down to competition whether they want to do it or not we see you in the three-point contest we can kind of change the format of three point contest to move the line further to give them more points by the dunk contest is about what you can show and as long as it goes through the rim, you may be able to get a high score but it’s very subjective three point is much more talent oriented there is no scoring system where someone is subjectively scoring what they believe it’s either you make or you miss it so I feel like that’s what they need as a competition. A one V one or a 2V2 tournament will draw in so much attention because this game is all about isolation. We’ve had top scoring for years now having players to participate in something like this and crown them. The top isolation score is like I think it would be an incredible achievement year a year and I think it can show value to certain players that maybe Aren’t known to be yes we want the biggest names on the stage but having maybe younger talent with big names on the stage then performing in isolation like I want to see Cooper Cooper Flagg if he goes and does it and wins that says a lot so I think yeah I think there’s one I want two or two tournament. I think that’s a great idea. I think they should go with it.
@natej84
February 19, 2026 at 2:58 pm
Both are doing historical stuff. Coop doing Bron stuff. Kon doing I don’t even know stuff. Only 9 players in NBA history have went 50/40/90 in a season and no rookies. So if Kon does it it’ll be only the 10th player in NBA history. So he’s not just a elite shooter, he’s a all-time shooter. Not rookie shooter but all-time NBA shooter
@Noah-fj5bm
February 19, 2026 at 3:00 pm
If Coop is gonna get compared to Bron. He has to take them to the playoffs next year. No excuses
@jycbhgcbd
February 19, 2026 at 3:03 pm
Flagg can do it both ends.
@DonovanTrip-s3c
February 19, 2026 at 3:19 pm
Cooper is a better defender and offense wise theres not much separatoon but on Defense is the differece Cooper is a baller on defense
@iec7587
February 19, 2026 at 3:38 pm
Flagg is MINUS 770 to win ROY. That is a staggering number.
@combat_sports_fan
February 19, 2026 at 4:45 pm
This answer is SIMPLE we seen BOTH matchup in Dallas vs Hornets… Cooper dropped 49 ON HIS HEAD
@combat_sports_fan
February 19, 2026 at 4:46 pm
COOPER DROPPED 49 ON KON HEAD WHILE HE WAS GUARDING HIM EVERY PLAY…
@DrJack-xn1rn
February 19, 2026 at 5:19 pm
He didn’t guard him every play and Kon got 34 that game. What are we doing here?
@denniszenanywhere
February 19, 2026 at 9:02 pm
@DrJack-xn1rn And Kon stole Cooper’s pass that led to Copper fouling Kon who shot both his free throws for the Hornets win. Cooper is winning Rookie of the Year, but let’s not discount Kon’s efforts.
@TorryJohnson-y3p
February 19, 2026 at 4:54 pm
Bro kon is a beast and there winning
@tracemcdonald1902
February 19, 2026 at 4:55 pm
kon hate is real
@madihakhan8409
February 19, 2026 at 8:31 pm
Praising coop ≠ hating kon
Kon is amazing, he’s going to have a great career but I think you have to recognise what a rut Mavs would be in without him
@festerllc
February 19, 2026 at 5:59 pm
Anyone NOT picking flagg is a retard
@DarnoldOwnsMaye
February 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm
It’s Flagg and it’s not close, you can’t just look at the statistics. If you actually watch the games it’s clear. One is a game changer and the other is a cog in the wheel.
@fortogarebel8872
February 19, 2026 at 7:34 pm
Exactly. Kon has numbers, but you don’t jump out of your seat when he does something special. Cooper is that guy.
@sioboy
February 19, 2026 at 7:11 pm
The fact that Kon’s name surfaced for the ROTY alongside Cooper is a huge nod to his game. The guy’s something. He’s no slouch.
@anthonyk423
February 19, 2026 at 7:25 pm
Flagg is the rookie of the year. Kon has for more help and Cooper has none. If Cooper doesn’t play good the Mavs don’t have a chance to win.
@olphatty1
February 19, 2026 at 7:31 pm
Huge gap
@TDGRHYTHM
February 19, 2026 at 8:08 pm
Coop should be locked for ROY