The Cooper Flag lags early in the 2025-26 season

Before the 2025-26 NBA season even began, everyone was proclaiming Rookie of the Year is fighting for Cooper Flaggthe first pick in this year’s draft by Dallas Mavericks. Well, two weeks into the new season, Flegg has been outplayed by several of his fellow rookies, in particular Philadelphia 76ers wing VJ Edgecombe.

While there is still plenty of basketball to be played this season, Edgecombe has put the entire league on notice.

It’s not just him early favorite for the Rookie of the Year award over Flagg, but he also helped Tirese Makei put the 76ers atop the Eastern Conference on the table of two games in the 2025-26 season.

Given how wide open the East is this year, Edgecombe’s path to stay atop the ClutchPoints rookie list is clear. Whether or not Flegg can make up for him depends a lot on the Mavericks’ overall performance, as well as his ability to outperform other starters in the West.

Dylan Harper and Cedric Coward also had strong starts to their first seasons, helping to make the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year race look very interesting.

For the first time this season, here’s a look at ClutchPoints’ NBA rookie rankings, starting with Edgecombe who is the early leader.

1. VJ Edgecombe – Philadelphia 76ers

Stats: 7 games, 19.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 47.6 FG%, 43.9 3P%

When the 76ers were on the clock with the third pick, there was a big debate about who they should take between Edgecomb and Ace Bailey. So far, Daryl Morey and this front office hit the nail on the head by taking Edgecomb, since he was they fit perfectly next to Maxi in the backfield.

In addition to his historic 34-point debut, Edgecombe took the Sixers’ offense to new heights. With Joel Embiid still working his way back to full speed and Paul George yet to play this season, the rookie was also Philadelphia’s second-best player behind Maxey.

Between his physical tools and the athleticism to play well above the rim on both sides of the court, Edgecombe has firmly established himself at the top of the NBA’s preseason rankings.

Stats: 6 games, 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 50.0 FG%, 35.7 3P%

Without De’Aaron Fox to start the season, Dylan Harper was immediately given the role of the San Antonio Spurs’ second point guard alongside Stephon Castle. The second rookie pick handled this pressure with ease and was a perfect fit in Mitch Johnson’s system.

Not only was Harper able to carry Spurs’ offense with or without Victor Wembanyama on the court, but he was also aggressive in attacking his opportunities to score off the dribble. His all-around game is why Harper sits just behind Edgecombe in the rookie rankings.

unfortunately, Harper will miss nearly a month of action with a strained left calf. This will negatively affect his chances of winning the Spurs Rookie of the Year award for three consecutive seasons.

3. Cedric Coward – Memphis Grizzlies

Stats: 8 games, 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 58.3 FG%, 48.3 3P%

Trading Desmond Bain was a big risk for the Memphis Grizzliesespecially since they didn’t have anyone on their active roster to replace him. However, that’s why Zach Kleiman drafted Cedric Coward, an underachieving prospect who was overlooked by many because of a shoulder injury he suffered while at Washington State.

Coward was excellent coming off the bench early in the season for the Grizzlies, and currently ranks second among all rookies in scoring. He currently leads all rookies in shooting percentage, with a minimum of 50 field goal attempts.

In a system that allows him to space the floor and attack in a variety of ways, with or without screens, Coward finds himself in the same position that Jalen Wells was in last season as an underrated Rookie of the Year pick.

4. Kon Knuepel – Charlotte Hornets

Stats: 8 games, 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 45.7 FG%, 41.0 3P%

Everyone knew Kon Knueppel was a great 3-point threat coming into the league, but he quickly reminded everyone of this when he burst onto the scene, making 16 3-pointers in his first four games with the Charlotte Hornets. There are no beginners NBA history had ever accomplished that before Knueppel did it this season.

The Hornets have a chance to be competitive in the East, and Knuepel will play a big role in their potential success alongside LaMel Ball and Brandon Miller, who is currently out with a shoulder injury.

5. Cooper Flag – Dallas Mavericks

Stats: 7 games, 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 38.8 FG%, 30.8 3P%

There’s no doubt that Flagg will do just fine in Dallas. He struggled at times to find his footing at first, but the first overall pick has shown flashes of his scoring prowess, especially in isolation against slower, less athletic big men.

The biggest challenge for Flagg is to continue learning how to be a point-four and help fill the gaps in the backcourt until Kyrie Irving returns from a knee injury. however, Flagg thrilled NBA fans with his career-high dunks through the first seven games, and his production has picked up lately.

6. Tre Johnson – Washington Wizards

Stats: 7 games, 12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 41.6 FG%, 35.7 3P%

One of the most consistent and productive rookies through two weeks of the 2025-26 NBA season has been Tre Johnson of the Washington Wizards.

Although the Wizards are still rebuilding and trying out a lot of different rotations, Johnson has been consistent on the wing, scoring at least 10 points in all but one game he came off the bench. Johnson is effective from 3-point range, and has a really good offensive game that makes him a unique secondary alongside Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr.

Keep a close eye on how Johnson moves up the rookie rankings as the season progresses.

7. Ryan Kalkbrenner – Charlotte Hornets

Stats: 8 games, 9.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 82.9 FG%

The Hornets may have put together the best draft class of any team in the NBA this year. Not only did Knueppel and Zion James perform, but Ryan Kalkbrenner was outstanding at center for Charlotte.

There hasn’t been consistent play in the Hornets frontcourt in years. That statement is no longer true, as Kalkbrenner was an excellent defensive big man, shooting 82.9 percent from the floor, the highest shooting percentage in the NBA.

While that may be a small sample size, Kalkbrenner plays his role perfectly, and he does it better than some All-Stars in this league. Shooting nearly 83 percent through eight games to start your career is like a video game.

8. Derrick Quinn – New Orleans Pelicans

Stats: 7 games, 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 48.8 FG%

Before the New Orleans Pelicans won their first game of the season on Tuesday night, Derrick Quinn was struggling to find consistent minutes in Willie Green’s rotation. Then, against the Hornets on Tuesday, Quinn exploded for 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals in just 18 minutes off the bench.

In the fourth quarter alone, Quinn had 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, making her the first player in league history to post those numbers in any quarter in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97), according to Pelicans reporter Andrew Lopez.

“Whatever is required of me, I will do it,” The Queen told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “It’s about getting better every day.”

9. Colin Murray-Boyles – Toronto Raptors

Stats: 6 games, 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 46.8 FG%, 42.9 3P%

Defensively, Colin Murray-Boyles is one of the best players from the 2025 NBA Draft. He quickly established himself as a player that Darko Rajakovic can trust guarding multiple positions off the bench, and even earned a few starts after Jakob Poeltl had to miss some games during the first two weeks of the year.

Whether Murray-Boyles can develop a consistent perimeter shot and score off the dribble will determine his prospects in the league. Early on, the Toronto Raptors have to be content with the defensive-minded forward shooting over 42 percent from the perimeter on 14 attempts.

10. Jeremiah Fears – New Orleans Pelicans

Stats: 7 games, 13.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 45.7 FG%, 33.3 3P%

Jeremiah Fears has clearly overtaken Jordan Poole as the Pelicans’ starting point guard, and his offensive numbers speak for themselves.

The rookie guard has scored fewer than 11 points in just one game, and ranks fourth on the Pelicans in both goals and shot attempts per game. He is sixth among all rookies in scoring this season.

Although smaller than most guardians today, Fears is not afraid of anyone (no pun intended). Fears always has confidence in his shot, and it shows in his ability to attack the rim on multiple possessions.