At 19 years old, Flagg becomes the youngest player to score 50 points.

Before today's game, ESPN conducted a simulated vote for season awards. In the Rookie of the Year selection, Kang Shen Knupel received 80 out of 100 first-place votes, while the remaining 20 first-place votes were all given to Flagg.

Just as everyone was saying the Rookie of the Year outcome was already certain, Flagg delivered a 51-point performance.

The Mavericks versus the Magic was a game with little suspense, as the two teams had different primary objectives. The Mavericks needed to continue losing to improve their draft position, while the Magic were in the race for the sixth seed in the East, making every remaining game crucial.

Throughout the first three quarters today, the Magic consistently dominated the Mavericks, winning each quarter and leading by 19 points after three quarters. Flagg had already scored 27 points in three quarters, performing very well, but it was in the fourth quarter that his shooting truly exploded.

In the entire fourth quarter, Flagg shot 8-for-12, including 4-for-6 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from free throws, scoring 24 points with 2 rebounds and 2 steals. He was truly unstoppable both inside and outside, with driving dunks and pull-up threes. The only downside was that the game had already lost suspense at this point, with the lead一度 around 30 points.

Flagg was taken out after reaching 45 points, and I thought he wouldn't return. Surprisingly, Vogel, who was coaching instead of Kidd today, put Flagg back in. After returning, Flagg hit a corner three-pointer and converted a 2+1, scoring six consecutive points to reach 51 points before finally leaving the game.

Clearly, Flagg's 51 points involved some stat-padding, but for a rookie, it's not a major issue. The Mavericks' main objective is to develop Flagg, with game outcomes being secondary. Moreover, Flagg's 51 points were "padded" with considerable skill.

In the entire game, Flagg played only 33 minutes and 33 seconds, shooting 19-for-30, including 6-for-9 from three-point range, scoring 51 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. His playing time wasn't high, but his scoring efficiency was outstanding, with a true shooting percentage of 77.1%. Additionally, Flagg had only 7 free throws; if he had 43 free throws, he'd be unstoppable.

Thus, Flagg unquestionably became the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points, and the only player to achieve 50 points at age 19. This record was previously held by the昙花一现 Jennings, who scored 55 points at 20 years and 52 days during his rookie season; Flagg today is 19 years and 103 days old.

So far this season, Flagg has three 40+ point games, which are also the highest scoring records among rookies this season, with the top three all set by Flagg. Unfortunately, Flagg also lost all three of those games. This is why Flagg is currently criticized: when you score high but fail to lead your team to victory, you naturally get labeled a stat-padder, which also shows fans have high expectations for Flagg.

This season so far, Flagg averages 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, leading his team in all four categories. The last rookie to lead his team in these four stats was Jordan.

It's often said that Rookie of the Year评选 doesn't consider team战绩, but currently the Mavericks have 24 wins, while the Hornets恰好 have 42 wins, a差距 so large fans can't ignore it. Team performance is one reason Flagg trails his roommate.

Another crucial reason is Knupel's astonishing three-point performance this season. Recently, his three-point shooting has been off for a few games, but he still leads the league with 264 three-pointers made this season. Second place is Doncic, who is already out for the regular season, meaning Knupel has essentially提前加冕 as the season's three-point king.

A rookie, in his first year in the league, breaks his team's single-season three-point record and becomes the player with the most three-pointers in the league. This kind of performance is more震撼 than Flagg's single-game 51 points; Flagg's is a single-game highlight, while Knupel's three-point highlight has lasted the entire season.

If I had voting rights, I would vote for Knupel, though if there were an option for two players to share the award, I would certainly support that. If either player winning Rookie of the Year is reasonable, then sharing the award不失为 the best option.