NBA official rookie rankings update: Knupel continues to lead, top pick Flagg rises to second place

On November 27th Beijing time, the NBA official rookie rankings were refreshed, with Hornets' 4th pick Knupel maintaining his lead thanks to impressive performances, and top pick Flagg moving up to second place. Following them in 3rd to 5th are Grizzlies' 11th pick Coward, Pelicans' 13th pick Quinn, and 76ers' third pick Edgecum. Here are the specific rankings and breakdown —

1. Knupel (Hornets)

Season stats: averaging 19.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists

Previous ranking: 1st place

Draft position: 4th overall

Knupel’s performance over the past week has boosted his momentum: averaging 27.3 points per game with a shooting percentage of 59.2% and a three-point accuracy of 56.3%. After 17 games, he has made 63 three-pointers; if this pace continues, he could reach 303 threes this season, shattering Keegan Murray’s NBA rookie single-season three-point record of 206.

Looking at the numbers, Knupel currently averages 3.71 three-pointers per game, second only to Curry’s career average of 3.97. However, this comparison is somewhat misleading since Knupel has only played 17 games, whereas Curry has appeared in 1,041 games. A fairer comparison is that before Curry changed the league’s style, in his rookie season’s first 17 games he shot 49 threes making 19 (38.8%), while Knupel has made 63 out of 144 attempts (43.8%) in the same span. Curry raised his three-point percentage to 44.4% (147/331) over his rookie season’s final 63 games.

2. Flagg (Mavericks)

Season stats: averaging 15.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists

Previous ranking: 3rd place

Draft position: 1st overall

Flagg has appeared in 18 games for the Mavericks, more than his highly paid teammate Anthony Davis (14 games, often sidelined by injury). Additionally, the 14 losses the team suffered in six weeks exceed the total losses of all his previous teams over the past four years (including college), which was only 8. As the 2025 top draft pick, Flagg is going through the NBA’s “introductory course” with Dallas. In his last three games, he made just 1 of 11 three-point attempts, but still receives continuous praise. Coach Kidd commented: "Going through tough, close losses only makes us stronger in the future. Especially for Cooper, witnessing these tight games teaches him how to handle different situations."

3. Coward (Grizzlies)

Season stats: averaging 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists

Previous ranking: 2nd place

Draft position: 11th overall

Coward has encountered his first offensive slump this season: scoring only 9 points in Sunday’s win over the Mavericks and just 5 points in Monday’s game against the Nuggets, shooting 5 of 17 overall and 1 of 8 from three. However, with Morant absent and opponents focusing their defense on him, he faced increased tactical pressure. Coward has also stepped up as a leader, a quality sometimes lacking in the Grizzlies team.

4. Quinn (Pelicans)

Season stats: averaging 12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists

Previous ranking: 7th place

Draft position: 13th overall

This 2.08-meter tall "old soul" from Maryland showed all-around performance last week: averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, plus 2.5 steals and blocks per game, with nearly 15 shot attempts each night. His overall shooting percentage reached 51.7%, and even during garbage time with big leads, he maintained his competitive spirit, which annoyed players from the Hawks. Although many believe his performance affects the value of the Pelicans’ 2026 unprotected first-round pick, Quinn not only thrives under this pressure but shifts the "who’s better" burden onto potential recipients of that draft pick.

5. VJ Edgecum (76ers)

Season stats: averaging 15.6 points, 6 rebounds, 4.2 assists

Previous ranking: 5th place

Draft position: 3rd overall

Edgecum has missed his second consecutive game due to left calf tightness. Despite this, he still leads the rookie group comprehensively: ranking first in average minutes, assists, and shot attempts; third in scoring; and fourth in rebounds. Hall of Fame guard Wade likens his playing style to his own: "As a shooting guard, my style was very similar — attacking defense head-on, driving aggressively, ‘I’m coming at you, no hesitation.’"

Players ranked 6th to 10th are: 6. Fears (Pelicans), 7. Kalkbrunner (Hornets), 8. Bailey (Jazz), 9. Deming (Nets), 10. Trey Johnson (Wizards).