Kon Knueppel Is Turning Heads - And Turning the Hornets Into a Problem in the East
When the Charlotte Hornets used the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Kon Knueppel, there were high hopes. But even the most optimistic projections didn’t quite account for this. The rookie out of Duke has not only hit the ground running - he’s sprinting past expectations, and Charlotte is riding the wave.
Knueppel is already making a name for himself as one of the league’s elite shooters. Through the season so far, he’s averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, while shooting a blistering 48.6% from the field, 42.8% from deep, and 89.7% from the free-throw line. Those are numbers that turn heads in any locker room - and they’re part of the reason the Hornets have ripped off nine straight wins and now sit 10th in the Eastern Conference standings.
But it’s not just the stats. It’s the way Knueppel plays - calm, calculated, and cold-blooded.
“He has this bravado, this façade, where he doesn’t give you much. He stays even keeled,” head coach Charles Lee said. “But he’s a f-ing killer.”
That’s not just coach-speak. It’s a reflection of how Knueppel has approached his rookie campaign - with a quiet confidence and an edge that’s hard to teach.
He doesn’t need to bark. He lets his game talk.
And while his offensive efficiency has been the headline, Lee is just as impressed with what Knueppel is doing on the other end of the floor.
“Defensively, you really see his basketball intelligence,” Lee explained. “He understands player tendencies really well.
He’s really able to understand how to close out: What are the angles I even need to take to close out on somebody? If I’m shifting on somebody, at what level or depth do I need to be at?”
That level of detail - the ability to read scouting reports, process them in real time, and apply them on the floor - is rare for a rookie. Lee pointed out how Knueppel adjusts his positioning based on the type of shooter he’s guarding.
If the opponent is a lesser threat, he plays flatter in his shift. If it’s a knockdown shooter, he’s higher and more aggressive in his coverage to deny the pass.
“He also does a really good job of understanding how to get to contest and do it without fouling,” Lee added. “Most guys like to relax. Even if his guy doesn’t crash [the boards], he’s coming in to get a hit on somebody else’s guy, to make sure they’re almost sandwiching that person so they can’t get up.”
That’s the kind of detail that doesn’t always show up in the box score but makes a real impact in winning basketball. It’s also the kind of effort that’s contagious - and right now, it’s helping fuel the hottest team in the NBA.
The Hornets, a team that’s been searching for an identity in recent years, may have found one in their rookie. His blend of sharp shooting, defensive awareness, and unshakable demeanor is giving Charlotte a new edge - and a reason to believe.
For Knueppel, though, it’s still about keeping things in perspective.
“You should be having fun with your teammates. You should have fun competing,” he said.
“That’s really the most important. It is hard.
It is a job. It’s a lot of travel.
It’s a lot of time away from home, and there’s a lot of money involved, so it’s really easy to lose that. I just think for me personally, it’s important to keep that [fun] because it’ll just help me perform better.”
That kind of mindset - grounded, mature, and focused - is rare for a first-year player. But Knueppel isn’t playing like a rookie.
He’s playing like someone who belongs. And if this is just the beginning, the Hornets may have found their franchise cornerstone.