19 out of 11! Defeating three champion teams! The rookie surpassing Flagg

It turns out a single rookie can truly change a team's identity.

Knepper (the No. 4 overall pick) has become the hottest rookie of the 2025 class, averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists this season while making 3.5 three-pointers per game at a 43.6% shooting rate. He has led the Hornets to a 32-31 record, ranking 9th in the Eastern Conference, whereas the team finished second-to-last in the East last regular season with only 19 wins and 63 losses.

By the way, Knepper was not selected by Jordan, who had already sold the majority of his stake in the Hornets back in 2023.

Getting back to the point, the Hornets are sweeping the league with a youth storm, showing no fear even against strong opponents. They defeated the Thunder (2025 champions) 124-97 on January 6th, crushed the Nuggets (2023 champions) 110-87 on January 19th, and recently dominated the Celtics (2024 champions) 118-89—all victories by 20+ points, thoroughly overpowering the champions of the past three years.

In these three battles against champion teams,Knepper contributed 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists; and 20 points with 4 rebounds respectively, making 11 out of 19 three-pointers in total, with an impressive shooting rate of about 58%.He never falters in tough games, perfectly demonstrating superstar potential.

Furthermore, according to statistical data,so far this season, Knepper has already achieved his 26th game with 20+ points and a true shooting percentage of at least 65%, surpassing the NBA rookie single-season record previously held by Bill Cartwright (1979-80 season) and matching Michael Jordan (1984-85 season). And the Hornets still have 19 regular-season games left to play.

The latest rookie rankings released by the NBA official website show Knepper continuing to hold the top spot, followed by Flagg (Mavericks) in second place and Edgecombe (Philadelphia) in third.Harper (Spurs) ranks fourth, Quinn (Pelicans) fifth, Reynolds (Kings) sixth, Coward (Grizzlies) seventh, Bailey (Jazz) eighth, Fells (Pelicans) ninth, and Jemin (Nets) tenth.

To put it bluntly, Knepper is very likely to snatch the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award from the hands of the No. 1 pick & America's favorite, Flagg.