The NBA’s Rookie of the Month honor for October and November has officially landed in Charlotte, and it’s Kon Knueppel who’s taking it home. The Hornets’ rookie forward is putting together one of the most efficient and eye-popping starts we’ve seen in recent memory - and he’s doing it with the confidence of a seasoned vet.
Knueppel becomes the 10th Hornets rookie to claim the award and the first since Brandon Miller earned it back in March 2024. But make no mistake - this isn’t just a nice milestone.
It’s a statement. The No. 4 overall pick out of Duke is proving early on that he belongs, and then some.
Let’s start with the scoring. Knueppel leads all rookies at 18.4 points per game - and he’s not just piling up points, he’s doing it with elite efficiency.
His 69 made threes through the end of November not only lead all rookies, they rank sixth in the entire league. That’s not a typo.
Sixth in the NBA.
And he’s not just chucking from deep - he’s hitting at a 41.3% clip from three and nearly 90% from the free-throw line. Among rookies, he leads the pack in both 3-point and free throw percentage. He’s also top five in just about every major statistical category: total points (367), rebounds (114), assists (59), field goals made (127), free throws made (44), and minutes played (669).
That’s not just good rookie production - that’s foundational-player type of stuff.
Knueppel also finds himself in elite company league-wide. He’s one of only 11 players in the NBA currently averaging at least 15 points per game while shooting 45% from the field, 40% from deep, and 85% from the line.
He’s the only rookie in that group, and he ranks second among them in total threes made. That’s rare air.
He’s already making history in Charlotte, too. On November 23, he tied the Hornets’ rookie record for most threes in a game with seven. Just a few days earlier, on November 19, he became only the second Hornets rookie ever - joining LaMelo Ball - to post a 25-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist game with at least five made threes.
And then there’s the Milwaukee game - a personal highlight reel. Playing in front of a hometown crowd, Knueppel dropped a career-best 32 points against the Bucks.
He’s the only rookie this season with multiple 30-point games, and he just notched his 10th 20-point outing in an overtime win against Toronto. No other rookie has more than six.
To put his start in historical perspective: Knueppel is the first player in NBA history to hit 50 threes in his first 15 games. He’s also the first Hornets rookie to record ten 20-point games within his first 20 career appearances - something only 44 other players have ever done in league history.
Through the early stretch of the season, Knueppel is averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 46.5% from the field, 41.5% from three, and 89.8% at the line. That’s not just a hot start - that’s a blueprint for long-term success.
The Hornets may not be playoff-bound this season, but they’ve got something real in Knueppel. A sharpshooter with poise, polish, and production that’s already turning heads around the league. For a franchise looking to build a new identity, this rookie might just be the cornerstone they’ve been waiting for.