{"id":1861318,"date":"2026-04-02T09:45:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T06:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1861318"},"modified":"2026-04-02T09:45:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T06:45:35","slug":"nba-all-defensive-all-rookie-teams-expect-wemby-cooper-flagg-kon-knueppel-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1861318","title":{"rendered":"NBA All-Defensive, All-Rookie teams: Expect Wemby, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>Each week through the end of the regular season, we\u2019ll check in on where I think the major individual awards races stand. This week, with a little more than a week left in the season, it feels like a good time to check in on the All-Defensive and All-Rookie possibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how the Awards Watch shakes out: Since 2019, I have been one of the media members selected to vote on the annual awards. It\u2019s an honor I take very seriously, as I strive to select the players I believe are most deserving. With it being public, I also don\u2019t want to end up getting meme\u2019d to eternity for casting a ridiculous vote. This analysis is a pretty good gauge of my thoughts\/research and those opinions submitted by other writers and readers of\u00a0<i>The Athletic<\/i>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As is the case with all types of rankings and opinions on the internet, I\u2019m sure this will be met with agreements and handshakes rather than yelling and name-calling. If you have a differing opinion, drop those in the comments. Let\u2019s just get this out of the way first:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Yes, I watch the games.<\/li>\n<li>Yes, I have looked at the numbers.<\/li>\n<li>No, I don\u2019t hate that player.<\/li>\n<li>No, I don\u2019t hate that team.<\/li>\n<li>If you have a differing opinion and want to roast me, by all means, have at it. Just try to have a point that makes sense. I\u2019m less interested in your bias toward your favorite player or team, but I am very interested in a possible perspective that I have missed or haven\u2019t considered enough. I\u2019m all about acquiring as much information and as many opinions as possible for these awards.<\/li>\n<li>With each award section, I\u2019m going to give my criteria for how it should be considered while taking my thoughts and what I feel the award has historically emphasized in voting into consideration.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t forget the 65-game rule! Players who don\u2019t get to 65 games in a season are not eligible for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year or Most Improved Player.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let\u2019s get into it.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"sect-0\"><b>All-Defensive First Team<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"sect-1\"><b>Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Wembanyama is running away with Defensive Player of the Year, so obviously, he\u2019s going to be on the All-Defensive First Team. Back in 2012 and again in 2013, the Defensive Player of the Year actually did not make the All-Defensive First Team. They were named to the Second Team. Marc Gasol won the award in 2013, but Tyson Chandler <em>and\u00a0<\/em>Joakim Noah tied for the big man spot on the First Team. Chandler won the award in 2012 but was also on the Second Team. Dwight Howard made it over him as the center. We also had this in 1995 with Dikembe Mutombo (David Robinson over him) winning the award and Alvin Robertson in 1986 (likely lost out to Sidney Moncrief for the First Team voting).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>That won\u2019t happen anymore \u2026 I think? The reason for it back then was that coaches voted for All-Defensive teams, and the media voted for DPOY. Since 2014, the media have voted for both. Also, keep in mind that these teams are now positionless.<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"0rpof6dU2XEd8kp\" data-horizontal=\"9\" data-vertical=\"16\" data-restricted-countries=\"BI,BY,CD,CF,CU,IQ,IR,KP,LB,LY,ML,NI,RU,SD,SO,SS,SY,UA,VE,YE,ZW\" data-restricted-countries-mode=\"block\" data-thumbnail-url style=\"padding:0\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:764px\"><\/div>\n<p>      <span data-type=\"application\/dash+xml\" data-source=\"https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/0rpof6dU2XEd8kp\/gU6Y7A7QIyLC\/gU6Y7A7QIyLC.mpd\"><\/span><br \/>\n      <span data-type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" data-source=\"https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/0rpof6dU2XEd8kp\/gU6Y7A7QIyLC\/gU6Y7A7QIyLC.m3u8\"><\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<h3 id=\"sect-2\"><b>Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>There are better defenders on the Thunder, which is not a knock on Holmgren. But he might be their most important defender this season, which is why he was the betting favorite for DPOY in the middle of the season. The Thunder have a lot of guys like Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace who can really put pressure on the perimeter. Jalen Williams (when healthy) is an All-Defensive player. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a great defensive player. But a big part of why they can be so aggressive on the perimeter is knowing Holmgren is back there to clean up any spillage. His shot-blocking timing has become elite, and he\u2019s not getting pushed around nearly as much as he used to. His positioning has improved, and the Thunder continue to be the No. 1 defense because of all this working in a symbiotic way.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"sect-3\"><b>Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>During the first half of the season, a lot of people were arguing that Gobert could be on his way to a record fifth DPOY award. He\u2019s currently tied with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace with four. But then, Wembanyama came back from injury and was just better. However, Gobert has been excellent defensively for most of this season. He\u2019s defended in space extremely well, which is something he often gets skewered for online. He can still look funny trying to move his feet against perimeter guys, but he\u2019s able to make up for a lot of it with his timing and wingspan. The Wolves are top five in the league in defensive rating because of Gobert. Their defensive rating drops by 7.6 points per 100 possessions when he\u2019s on the bench.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"sect-4\"><b>Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Erik Spoelstra is almost always going to coach an elite defense, but the Heat have remained a top-10 defense this season despite dramatically changing their style of play. When it was a grind-it-out style with limited possessions, the Heat were constantly relying on Adebayo to set the tone, cover everything and keep them focused in these slogs of games. Now that the Heat have thrown their pace into warp speed, they\u2019re still one of the better defensive teams in the NBA. That\u2019s not easy to do in the organized chaos of such a fast style of play. Adebayo is the guy who keeps it all together. He can guard anybody in the league. He can play big or small. He covers every area of the floor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 0.01px;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 3;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-imperial;<br \/>\n    font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 400;<br \/>\n    line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/<br \/>\n    color: #323232;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 4;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 12px;<br \/>\n      line-height: 121%;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>.showcase-link-inputs {<br \/>\n  .showcase-link-input {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    font-size: 1rem;<br \/>\n    background-color: white;<br \/>\n    margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-indent {<br \/>\n    margin-left: 25px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  option {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {<br \/>\n  .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n    background-color: #121212;<br \/>\n    color: #f0f0ee;<br \/>\n    .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n      color: #c4c4c0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>            \/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click<br \/>\n            document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.showcase-link-image&#8217;).forEach((img) =&gt; img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7123510\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7123510\/2026\/03\/17\/heat-bam-adebayo-official-scorekeeper\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7123510\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/03\/16172339\/IMG_6007-1024x768.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"How Miami Heat\u2019s official scorer documented Bam Adebayo\u2019s big night\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  How Miami Heat\u2019s official scorer documented Bam Adebayo\u2019s big night\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  \u201cTo document everything, to do it by hand, it\u2019s still important to do,\u201d said Jamie Carrig, the Heat&#8217;s scorekeeper.\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"sect-5\"><b>Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Barnes is one of the league\u2019s most impressive individual defenders. He can guard pretty much anybody anywhere, and the Raptors have gone to some pretty small lineups (height-wise) because of his ability to adapt. Defense has fueled the Raptors\u2019 success this season. They\u2019re seventh in the NBA, and a big part of that is that Barnes being so disruptive. He\u2019s quick enough to shut down a primary scorer and help where the ball gets swung but can still stick to his man enough that the re-catch is not a big threat to Toronto. Sometimes, it feels like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7157069\/2026\/03\/30\/scottie-barnes-toronto-raptors-awards-all-nba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">there are two of him out there<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"sect-6\"><b>All-Defensive Second Team<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"sect-7\"><b>Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Thompson is the toughest player to keep off the First Team. He was a no-brainer last year and even had some people wondering if he should win Defensive Player of the Year. Defense is such a difficult thing to parse out from the elite defensive players vying for these top honors because there aren\u2019t great stats and metrics for it. When it comes to judging someone like Thompson, just watch how he defends. Thompson is so quick and physical. He seemingly cuts off the next move before the offensive player even knows they\u2019re about to try it. And guys constantly have to pick up their dribble and find a teammate because they\u2019re out of ideas. He makes you quit possessions so much.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"sect-8\"><b>Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Maybe it\u2019s wrong to pick between Wallace and Dort, but essentially, that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing. Funny enough, Caruso does not qualify for this award because 1) he won\u2019t get to 65 games, and 2) even if he did, he doesn\u2019t get the requisite 20 minutes per game to qualify with the games he does play. Wallace gets the nod over Dort because of games (Wallace has played 10 more games) and minutes played (he has over 200 minutes more than Dort). That ended up being the tiebreaker between the two. Wallace is one of the most disruptive players at the point of attack, and he\u2019s tremendous at swarming in help. He creates a lot of turnovers and doesn\u2019t get cheap steals in the slightest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7165057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7165057 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/04\/01153318\/USATSI_28633347-1024x683.jpg\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">OKC\u2019s Cason Wallace clamps down on Detroit\u2019s Kevin Huerter in a matchup between the No. 1 seeds in each conference. (Alonzo Adams \/ Imagn Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"sect-9\"><b>Derrick White, Boston Celtics\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>White is another player who\u2019s tough to keep off the First Team, but there just isn\u2019t any room at the inn. His defensive instincts and understanding are some of the highest in the league. He\u2019s a brilliant defender all over the floor. Shots at the rim aren\u2019t safe with him around. He navigates screens like he\u2019s in liquid form. White is one of the best at moving his feet and cutting off a drive without needing to play physical defense, but he can also <em>thrive<\/em> playing physical defense. And the Celtics\u2019 defense has completely fallen apart this season without him on the floor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid3\" data-position=\"mid3\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"sect-10\"><b>Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>He\u2019s also an extraordinary defender! Just like his brother. He\u2019s been so good in this physical system installed by J.B. Bickerstaff, and he\u2019s mostly defending like a 10-year veteran. He gets about a block per game, and it feels like he\u2019s usually catching unsuspecting jump shooters with his timing on these. He\u2019s leading the league in steals per game at 2.0, but he also just disrupts so many actions at the point of attack. You can see opponents spending half their shot clocks trying to get Thompson to switch away from their top scorer, and he\u2019s excellent at navigating screens to make that a tall task.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"sect-11\"><b>Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>There are a lot of other tremendous defenders up for consideration, but ultimately, it\u2019s pretty impossible to leave Green off this list. This team defense was built around Green\u2019s orchestration and Jimmy Butler\u2019s ability to fill in everywhere. Butler\u2019s season ended in mid-January with the ACL tear, and now, it\u2019s just Green out there trying to keep it all together. He has so much responsibility, and he covers it all. He\u2019s great at disrupting around the rim. He cuts off the paint. He switches onto anybody. He defends giants in the league. Green\u2019s defensive execution is old news at this point, but it\u2019s still elite. Maybe you knock him because his team\u2019s defense is around league average, but he\u2019s the reason they have continued success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Toughest omissions:\u00a0<\/strong>Dyson Daniels (Atlanta), Dort (OKC), Jalen Duren (Detroit), Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota)<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"sect-12\"><b>All-Rookie First Team<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"sect-13\"><b>Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>I mean \u2026 duh. Flagg has been one of the most impressive teenagers the NBA has ever seen. He\u2019s set record after record. And he might still win Rookie of the Year, although it looks like he\u2019ll finish second. Flagg can play defense pretty well for a teenage rookie. His clutch scoring has been a big surprise to happen so early. He\u2019s learned how to be a good playmaker. He rebounds. Flagg is the real deal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 0.01px;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 3;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-imperial;<br \/>\n    font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 400;<br \/>\n    line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/<br \/>\n    color: #323232;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 4;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 12px;<br \/>\n      line-height: 121%;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>.showcase-link-inputs {<br \/>\n  .showcase-link-input {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    font-size: 1rem;<br \/>\n    background-color: white;<br \/>\n    margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-indent {<br \/>\n    margin-left: 25px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  option {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {<br \/>\n  .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n    background-color: #121212;<br \/>\n    color: #f0f0ee;<br \/>\n    .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n      color: #c4c4c0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>            \/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click<br \/>\n            document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.showcase-link-image&#8217;).forEach((img) =&gt; img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7146600\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7146600\/2026\/03\/27\/cooper-flagg-kon-knueppel-nba-rookie-of-year\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7146600\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/03\/26114810\/GettyImages-2258971759-1-1024x683.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"Does Cooper Flagg or Kon Knueppel have the better Rookie of the Year resume?\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  Does Cooper Flagg or Kon Knueppel have the better Rookie of the Year resume?\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  The college roommates each have strong cases for the league&#8217;s top first-year honor. Who has the edge with two weeks left in the season?\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"sect-14\"><b>Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Knueppel is probably the Rookie of the Year, which nobody had going into this season. He\u2019s one of the best shooters in the Association already. His defense has been pretty solid. He moves the ball and creates chaos with his movement. Knueppel\u2019s all-around game has him in position to be a franchise piece moving forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"sect-15\"><b>VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Most seasons, Edgecombe would be heavily in the running for ROY. He just happens to be a rookie in the season with Flagg and Knueppel dominating consideration. But Edgecombe has been perfect for Philadelphia. He helped create a very dynamic backcourt with Tyrese Maxey, setting the tone and identity for this Sixers team as it transitions from being centered around Joel Embiid. Edgecombe makes so many spectacular plays on both ends of the floor. He\u2019s an easy selection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7165063\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7165063 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/04\/01153529\/USATSI_28601386-1024x683.jpg\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">Derik Queen drives through the Toronto defense. (Dan Hamilton \/ Imagn Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"sect-16\"><b>Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Queen has certainly tailed off from the first few months of his rookie campaign, especially as the Pelicans have become more serious about trying to win games in the second half. But he\u2019s done enough to earn this honor. Queen can really score, and he\u2019s a very good passer. He\u2019s displayed skills that prove his strengths transfer to the NBA level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid4\" data-position=\"mid4\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"sect-17\"><b>Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>He\u2019s not getting the pub that his other classmates are getting, but Harper might be my favorite rookie to watch. His ability to change speeds, play with pace and finish around the rim makes him look like he\u2019s been in the league for almost a decade. Harper has a great understanding of where to fill in the gaps on the court and when to take charge on offense. The Spurs have a lot of great young players, but Harper is already making some wonder if they even need De\u2019Aaron Fox and his contract moving forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"sect-18\"><b>All-Rookie Second Team<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"sect-19\"><b>Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>The 3-point shooting didn\u2019t hold up, but Coward has played exceptional basketball considering the conditions in Memphis. Much like Jaylen Wells last year, Coward has been thrust into a much bigger responsibility than you expected him to have. He\u2019s a tough one to keep off the First Team, but someone had to get left off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"sect-20\"><b>Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Bailey is another guy who is tough to keep from the First Team. He came into the NBA with a ton of uncertainty, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6656696\/2025\/09\/23\/ace-bailey-agent-jazz-rookie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">really through no fault of his own<\/a>, and his image took a hit right away. But his play for the Jazz has delivered on showing that potential. Bailey has been up and down from month to month. That probably keeps him from the First Team, but he can really score and really play.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"sect-21\"><b>Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>The shooting numbers and efficiency aren\u2019t there for Fears, but he\u2019s had enough moments to show he\u2019s a starting point guard in this league. It looks like he\u2019s finishing the season strong, and you\u2019d like to see him carry that over into next year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"sect-22\"><b>Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Yes, a second-round pick makes it! The Kings have been a mess, and Domantas Sabonis missed most of the season. Raynaud has benefited a lot from that. The 42nd pick has shown a lot of ability to do different things. He\u2019s flashed a jumper. He can pass it. And he is really good at scoring around the rim and in the paint. Raynaud\u2019s had some big games, and he deserves a spot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"sect-23\"><b>Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span>Murray-Boyles has done enough and played just enough to give him the nod over a couple of other rookies. His numbers won\u2019t blow you away, but he\u2019s been trustworthy enough on defense to play a lot of center for the Raptors, despite being listed at 6-foot-7. Murray-Boyles looks like he can be a quintessential glue guy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Toughest omissions:\u00a0<\/strong>Tre Johnson (Washington), Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez (Boston), Sion James (Charlotte), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Charlotte), Nique Clifford (Sacramento)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Each week through the end of the regular season, we\u2019ll check in on where I think the major individual awards races stand. This week, with a little more than a week left in the season, it feels like a good time to check in on the All-Defensive and All-Rookie possibilities. Here\u2019s how the Awards Watch [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1861318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1861318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861318\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1861318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1861318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1861318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}