The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the surprise teams in the league lately and rookie guard Kon Knueppel has been a major reason why. Charlotte has surged back into the Eastern Conference play-in race while winning roughly 15 of its last 18 games, with Knueppel providing efficient scoring and elite shooting that has helped fuel the run. The rookie has averaged around 19 points per game while shooting over 44% from three and even broke the NBA rookie record for most three-pointers in a season. His play has pushed him to the front of the NBA Rookie of the Year race ahead of Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks. While Flagg still has slightly bigger counting stats — about 20 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game — Knueppel’s efficiency, Charlotte’s winning stretch, and Flagg missing games with injury have shifted the momentum of the award race toward the Hornets rookie as the season enters its final stretch. Who should win ROTY: Knueppel or Flagg?