Maine Native Cooper Flagg Named Rookie of the Year Finalist After Stellar Debut Season

After a dynamite first season in the NBA, it should come as no surprise that Maine’s own Cooper Flagg is up for one of the biggest postseason awards.

The Newport native is one of three rookies up for the prestigious honor. The other two are VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers and Cooper’s former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets.

How Good Was Cooper Flagg's Rookie Season in the NBA?

Clearly, Flagg was everything—and more—than what was advertised to teams in his first year. The phenom had the kind of season every Dallas Mavericks fan dreamed of. And even though Dallas failed to make the playoffs, it doesn’t take away from what this team has for the future: a bona fide superstar.

Flagg did just about everything this season. He was the unquestioned leader, often playing multiple positions—including point guard—because of consistent holes in the roster. It was a lot to ask of any young player, and asking a 19-year-old rookie to take on that role speaks volumes.

Flagg led the team in scoring (21.0 points per game, which also ranked in the top 25 in the league), ranked fourth in rebounding (6.7), second in assists (4.5), and first in steals (1.2). Those numbers improved all year as the young rookie found his way in the competitive league.

Will Cooper Flagg Win NBA Rookie of the Year?

While there are three finalists for Rookie of the Year, most pundits believe the race is between Flagg and Knueppel. It looked like Cooper might have been out of it, especially after missing games due to injury. However, he came back and absolutely caught fire down the final stretch. At one point, he even became the odds-on favorite to win the award. It really did go down to the wire.

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The winner will be announced later in the postseason.