ESPN's Zach Kram updated his rookie rankings Thursday, and two former Duke teammates are at the top.
Kram ranked Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel first, one spot ahead of Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg.
"Flagg is the heavy Rookie of the Year favorite (-750) according to betting markets, but his former Duke teammate has been the best rookie in the NBA this season," Kram said.
Knueppel is averaging 19.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season. He has scored 10+ points in 39 of his 43 games, including a career-high 33 points against the Chicago Bulls last month.
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"The main narrative surrounding Knueppel is his pursuit of various rookie 3-point records -- he's making 3.4 3-pointers per game on 43.5% shooting," Kram said.
Knueppel has been a terrific shooter for the Hornets this season, who are playing better basketball lately. He became the fastest player to reach 100 career 3-pointers in NBA history last month.
"Less discussed, but arguably even more impressive, is Knueppel's overall efficiency," he said. "His 64.5% true shooting mark is the highest for any rookie in NBA history with at least a 20% usage rate in 1,200-plus minutes."
Behind Knueppel is Flagg, who was the first pick in last year's NBA Draft. Kram said he would not be shocked if Flagg eventually takes the top spot in his rankings.
"Given his current trajectory, it wouldn't remotely be a surprise to see him claim the top spot in the next set of rookie rankings," he said.
The 76ers' VJ Edgebombe, the Pelicans' Derik Queen and the Grizzlies' Cedric Coward round out Kram's top five.
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