![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/flagg-knueppel.jpg\")
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Cooper Flagg (left) and Kon Knueppel have each appeared in 39 of a possible 40 games so far this season.<\/p>\n
Not only have the Dallas Mavericks\u2019 Cooper Flagg and the Charlotte Hornets\u2019 Kon Knueppel excelled on the court to earn top spots here at the Kia Rookie Ladder, but they have mostly stayed on the court, too.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each has missed just one game so far, which is owed to their youth and spry physical shape. But it also speaks to their mental approach to surviving minor dings and pushing through without any string of absences. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Recently, the two former Duke teammates spoke separately about the grind and how they\u00a0try\u00a0to push through.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel solid,\u201d\u00a0Flagg said when asked about his Mavericks workload.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0a lot of basketball, but\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0figuring out my routine \u2014 what works and what\u00a0doesn\u2019t. Some days you feel tired, some days you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0feel 100 percent, but you play through it and figure it out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Said Knueppel: \u201cI think you just have to be willing to play. \u2026 Going in with that mindset: How can I have my body ready to play and perform every day?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLike, not\u00a0\u2018Oh no, my ankle hurts,\u00a0I\u2019ve got to get some treatment today.\u2019\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0more like,\u00a0\u2018Alright, my shoulder tends to bug me, let\u2019s get working on the shoulder throughout the week.\u2019\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some form of injury accommodation is likely in both players\u2019 future, but they\u2019re not load-managing now, which gives maximum exposure to ticket-buying and TV-viewing fans around the league. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Here\u00a0is this week\u2019s\u00a0Kia Rookie Ladder\u00a0of the league\u2019s top newcomers:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Weekly recap<\/p>\n
\u2022 Typically, this is a column where veteran players and coaches offer compliments and impressions of the new guys. But Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe turned the tables recently when talking about teammate Kyle Lowry, whom he considers essential as a mentor. The young guard was delighted to see how much appreciation Lowry got when Philadelphia played at Toronto this week. \u201cThat was amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cThe city shows that they still love him. \u2026 I was at home when they won the [2019] championship, so, like I said, for them to show love, credit to them. Credit to them for not being salty or anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2022 Special mention to Toronto\u2019s Collin Murray-Boyles, who has been rolling in his past six games: 10.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, two steals and one block, while shooting 60.9% and helping the Raptors go 4-2. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2022 Ryan Nembhard\u2019s work off the bench for Dallas hadn\u2019t been great (3.9 ppg, 21.4% 3-point shooting), but that\u2019s where he\u2019ll likely get his minutes once Kyrie Irving is back. So his play in reserve Monday in Brooklyn (nine points, eight assists, one turnover in 22 minutes) was a good sign. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Storyline to watch\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beware the rookie wall. This is the time of year rookies make like bugs drawn to one of those patio purple lights: Zap! The games have come fast and hard, rest has been sketchy and young fellas more used to playing 32 games in a whole season in college are pushing toward 40 or more in less than three months. One early player who seems to have gotten a rude introduction to the wall is San Antonio\u2019s Dylan Harper, who went into Tuesday\u2019s game at OKC averaging 2.3 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists for the week, while shooting 16.7%. How Harper bounces back, and how many others in the Class of 2025 share a similar experience, will be something to watch. \u00a0<\/p>\n
(All\u00a0stats\u00a0through\u00a0Tuesday,\u00a0Jan.\u00a013)\u00a0<\/p>\n
1. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n
Season\u00a0stats:<\/a> 19.1\u00a0ppg, 6.4\u00a0rpg,\u00a04.3\u00a0apg It\u2019s hard to find a flaw in Flagg\u2019s game \u2014 frankly, his overall approach to this season as a teenage sensation \u2014 that he doesn\u2019t address and fix. How \u2018bout his work against Brooklyn Monday, when he notched his sixth game with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists \u2013 and this time didn\u2019t turn over the ball in 35 minutes, while chipping in three steals and a block? \u00a0<\/p>\n 2. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a>\u00a019.1\u00a0ppg, 5.1\u00a0rpg, 3.6\u00a0apg\u00a0 Knueppel looked a little vulnerable for slipping off this No. 2 rung on which he\u2019s signed his name for much of the season, given his 30.4% shooting on 3-pointers and the end of his streak of games with multiple 3-pointers. But he did enough to hang on, and does enough regularly to impress another opponent. Here\u2019s Clippers coach Ty Lue<\/a> on Monday talking about the Charlotte forward: \u201cHe plays at his own pace. He\u2019s a 3-level scorer, he can get to the basket, mid-range, shoots the 3, and understanding how to play the game. He doesn\u2019t force anything. \u2026 He was just too comfortable last game we played him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a>\u00a016.1\u00a0ppg, 5.4\u00a0rpg, 4.4\u00a0apg\u00a0 Edgecombe\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0quite overtake Knueppel this week<\/a>, but the Sixers\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0quibbling\u00a0with his production<\/a>, which included an average of 6.5 assists this week. He logged 38.2 minutes nightly and helped Philadelphia win three of four.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a> 12.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.3 apg Praise from a kindred big-man spirit, Pelicans assistant coach Greg Monroe, reiterated what a lot<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0rookie\u00a0observers have noticed: this kid is completely unruffled<\/a> against the world\u2019s best competition. Said Monroe: \u201cHe\u2019s not intimidated. \u2026 There\u2019s a moment when you think, \u2018Wow, I\u2019m actually playing against this dude.\u2019 But he is not intimidated by anyone, and he is not lacking in confidence.\u201d Queen, by the way, got his second triple-double of 14, 16 and 12 on his return to his roots at Washington on Friday \u2014 and he\u2019s the only rookie who\u2019s had even one. \u00a0<\/p>\n 5. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a>\u00a013.9\u00a0ppg,\u00a06.7\u00a0rpg, 2.9\u00a0apg\u00a0 Thanks in part to his 46.2% shooting on 3-pointers, Coward averaged 17 points, 8.5 boards and 2.5 assists this week<\/a>, while taking 6.5 of his 12 field-goal attempts from deep. He ranks second to Queen among the rookies in rebounding, and he scored in double figures 13 times in his past 14 games. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0The next 5<\/p>\n 6. Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings\u00a0<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a>\u00a010.5\u00a0ppg,\u00a06.5\u00a0rpg,\u00a01.1\u00a0apg\u00a0 When you\u2019re a big man with skills and you\u2019ve had the impact Raynaud has had (despite being drafted in the middle of the second round), teams \u2014 or at least some of their fans \u2014 might be second-guessing themselves. Minnesota is one such team, as it drafted a pair of project centers in June (Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky), but could have had Raynaud for more current help<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 7. Egor D\u00ebmin, Brooklyn Nets \u00a0<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats<\/a>:\u00a010.4\u00a0ppg, 3.3\u00a0rpg, 3.5\u00a0apg In the half dozen games right before D\u00ebmin sat out vs. Dallas on Monday, he had drained 24 of 46 3-pointers, a 52.2% clip. Curiously, he shot 4-of-19 from inside\u00a0the arc in that stretch of\u00a0games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 8. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans\u00a0<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a> 14.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.1 apg Fears is back to consistently scoring 10+ per game after a spate of single-digit performances around the holidays. He has averaged 16 points in his past six appearances \u2014 the rookie point guard has yet to miss a game \u2014 and had his share of moments like this<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 9. Caleb Love, Portland Trail Blazers\u00a0<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:\u00a0<\/a>10.7 ppg, 2.7\u00a0rpg, 2.3\u00a0apg In early December, Love\u00a0was hearing\u00a0the word \u201cinefficient\u201d attached to his performances for Portland. But\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0hard to quibble with his production\u00a0lately. Since Dec. 23<\/a>, he has averaged 16.8 points on 45% shooting, including 40.4% on 3-pointers. The word he\u2019s starting to hear now: \u201cLillard<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 10. Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a> 12.5 ppg, 3 rpg, 1.9 apg\u00a0 Johnson continues to up his scoring for Washington, and earned praise from the Phoenix Suns\u2019 Devin Booker after Johnson scored 19 in the Wizards\u2019 road loss to the Suns on Sunday. \u201cHe\u2019s smooth. He can shoot the ball. He can do a little bit of everything,\u201d Booker said. Of hearing the rookie compared to him, Booker added: \u201cI\u2019ll take that after what he was doing tonight. He looks like a special talent.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him\u00a0here<\/a>, find\u00a0his archive here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0follow him on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 1\u00a0\u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 1\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 2 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 3 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 4 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 13\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 5 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder: <\/a>No. 7 \u2b06\ufe0f
Draft pick:\u00a0<\/a>No. 42\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder<\/a>: No. 9 \u2b06\ufe0f
Draft pick<\/a>: No. 8\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 8 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:\u00a0<\/a>Not ranked\u00a0\u2b06\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0Undrafted\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 10 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 6\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n