<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-why-kon-knueppel-still-feels-like-rookie');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Hornets’ Kon Knueppel still feels like a rookie despite strong start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hornets-Kon-Knueppel.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Hornets’ Kon Knueppel still feels like a rookie despite strong start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-13T01:35:28-08:00">December 13th, 1:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-13T01:35:28-08:00">December 13th, 1:35am</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Charlotte Hornets wing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rookie-power-rankings-kon-knueppel-leads-cooper-flagg-at-quarter-mark">Kon Knueppel is off to a fantastic start in his rookie season</a>. Selected fourth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Duke, he’s turned into one of Charlotte’s main scoring threats.</p><p>In 25 games this season, Knueppel is averaging 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while logging 33.6 minutes. He has been remarkably efficient for a first-year player, shooting 46.6% from the field and 40.3% from three-point range. Since the start of December, he has hit double digits in seven consecutive games and is averaging 19.8 points per game, making 36.9% of his three-point attempts. His consistency has made him integral to the Hornets’ young core, providing spacing and off-ball creativity that pairs perfectly with guards LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.</p><p>Knueppel’s potential was on full display in the Hornets’ Friday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls. In a 129-126 loss, he produced a career-high 33 points on 12-of-21 shooting, along with five rebounds and a career-high-tying nine assists across 36 minutes. The 20-year-old also connected on five three-pointers, joining Ball as only the second rookie in Hornets history to record a 30-5-5 game with at least five threes. Miles Bridges also contributed 32 points and seven assists. Miller chipped in 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists as Charlotte remained competitive without Ball, Tre Mann, and Collin Sexton.</p><p>“Yeah, I still feel like a rookie,” Knueppel said after the Chicago loss, when asked whether <a href="https://x.com/HornetsReddit/status/1999698626029748327?s=20" rel="noopener">he still feels like a rookie</a> after 25 games under his belt. “Still figuring stuff out, still relying on my teammates, especially the off-the-court stuff, trying to figure everything out with my life, so definitely still feel like a rookie.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🎙️ Kon Knueppel: "I definitely still feel like a rookie."</p><p>"…still figuring stuff out. I'm still relying on my teammates, especially the off-the-court stuff, trying to figure everything out with my life." <a href="https://t.co/2G34VgH5xe">pic.twitter.com/2G34VgH5xe</a></p><p>— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) <a href="https://twitter.com/HornetsReddit/status/1999698626029748327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Charlotte native Patrick Williams, Zach Collins, and Isaac Okoro led the Bulls’ balanced attack, helping the team end its seven-game losing streak. The Hornets’ inability to close the game was partly due to yielding 80 points in the paint, including 30 in the fourth quarter, even though they shot 43.2% from three on 16-of-37 attempts, their highest since Nov. 10. Knueppel nearly tied the game in the final seconds but was denied by a successful Bulls challenge.</p><p>Off the court, Knueppel has already earned recognition, receiving the Kia Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award for October and November. ESPN also ranked him 17th in its list of NBA’s Top 25 Players Under 25, making him one of four rookies to appear, ahead of fellow first-year guards VJ Edgecombe and Dylan Harper.</p><p>While Charlotte currently sits 12th in the Eastern Conference, Knueppel’s combination of scoring, playmaking, and defensive awareness has made him a bright spot for the Hornets as they look to develop their young core.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Hornets’ Kon Knueppel still feels like a rookie despite strong start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-kon-knueppel-rookie-of-the-month-honor-cooper-flagg');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets’ Kon Knueppel discusses Rookie of the Month honor alongside Cooper Flagg');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kon-Knuppel-attempts-a-shot.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets’ Kon Knueppel discusses Rookie of the Month honor alongside Cooper Flagg</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-03T12:14:39-08:00">December 3rd, 12:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-03T12:14:39-08:00">December 3rd, 12:14pm</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rookie-power-rankings-kon-knueppel-leads-cooper-flagg-at-quarter-mark" rel="noopener">NBA Rookie of the Year battle between the Charlotte Hornets’ Kon Knueppel and the Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg</a> is heating up as the 2025-26 NBA season rages on. Now, he sat down on The Tonight Show to <a href="https://x.com/FallonTonight/status/1996088758433972342" rel="noopener">talk about being named</a> Rookie of the Month alongside Flagg, according to a post on X from The Tonight Show.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Kon2Knueppel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kon2Knueppel</a> reacts to winning <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a>’s Rookie of the Month! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FallonTonight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FallonTonight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAonNBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAonNBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/wot7xQGnsi">pic.twitter.com/wot7xQGnsi</a></p><p>— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) <a href="https://twitter.com/FallonTonight/status/1996088758433972342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Knueppel discussed how Flagg texted him that day, while acknowledging that it was great to be honored as Rookie of the Month. Significantly, Knueppel and Flagg were college roommates, and both are now competing for the same honor.<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppel-drawing-klay-thompson-devin-booker-comparisons"> Knueppel has drawn comparisons </a>to NBA veterans and stars for his outstanding play. So far, he is averaging 18.3 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field, including 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. He is the third-best scorer on the Hornets right now.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-reggie-miller-bold-claim-kon-knueppel-stephen-curry">Knueppel has even drawn praise from legends,</a> demonstrating how well he has played throughout this young NBA season. While the Hornets are still rebuilding, they have the budding young talent that can eventually turn this team around. The appearance on The Tonight Show was an indication of the rising star power of this rookie and what he could possibly become.</p><p>Knueppel has shared the spotlight with Flagg, who is flourishing over in Dallas, while also taking on more responsibility in the wake of injured stars. Currently, Flagg is averaging 17 points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the hardwood, but 25.6 percent from the triples. With Kyrie Irving out until at least January, Flagg is the second-best scorer on a depleted Mavericks’ roster that has struggled to stay afloat.</p><p>Despite their teams’ records, Knueppel and Flagg have continued to shine individually and will certainly be an important part of the future. For now, Knueppel will continue to develop throughout the season and do everything he can to help his team succeed while also competing against someone he holds in high regard.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets’ Kon Knueppel discusses Rookie of the Month honor alongside Cooper Flagg

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ncaa-basketball/duke-basketball-news-blue-devils-historic-cooper-flagg-kon-knueppel-flex');   ga('set', 'title', 'Duke Blue Devils makes historic Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel flex');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Duke-flexes-Cooper-Flagg-and-Kon-Knueppel.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Duke Blue Devils makes historic Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel flex</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-02T21:26:37-08:00">December 2nd, 9:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-02T21:26:37-08:00">December 2nd, 9:26pm</time><address><a>Nukul Jashoria</a>Nukul Jashoria is a seasoned sports journalist and editor with over five years of experience in digital media, television, and public relations. Having worked across leading sports media platforms, he has covered NCAAF, the NFL, NCAAB, Soccer, WNBA and global sports with editorial precision and creative storytelling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NCAA Basketball</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former Duke standouts Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-cooper-flagg-kon-knueppel-make-league-history-rookie-honors">delivered a landmark moment for both the Blue Devils</a> and the NBA as a whole this week. On December 2, the NBA announced that the former teammates had been named Rookie of the Month in their <a href="https://x.com/DukeMBB/status/1996007129119850742">respective conferences</a>, marking the first time since the honor was introduced in 2001-02 that two former college teammates claimed both awards in the same month.</p><p>“1st school in history to sweep the NBA Rookie of the Month awards,” Duke Men’s Basketball posted on X, formerly Twitter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">1st school in history to sweep the NBA Rookie of the Month awards 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀 <a href="https://t.co/QG0EM5krqh">pic.twitter.com/QG0EM5krqh</a></p><p>— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1996007129119850742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Flagg, now with the Dallas Mavericks, captured the Western Conference honor after rewriting NBA history. The 18-year-old erupted for a career-best 35 points in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-rookie-history-not-seen-lebron-james">becoming the youngest player ever to reach that mark</a>, a record previously held by superstar LeBron James, when he first hit 35 in 2003.</p><p>“I’ve got to be aggressive, and we’ll live with some of the mistakes, but you just have to be aggressive and trust all the work,” said Flagg during post-game press conference. “My teammates are extremely confident in me, and I feel that. And when they’re confident in me, it enables me to just be free up there.”</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lgt6YsX6SM&amp;t=21s" rel="noopener">During the press conference, after the game</a>, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised the poise Flagg has displayed so early in his career.</p><p>“Just his composure on both ends. He competes at a very high level…He’s only 18 years old, but he seems like he’s been in this league before, he plays the game right way,” Kidd said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Kon Knueppel, now playing for the Charlotte Hornets, earned the Eastern Conference award on the strength of a blazing start. The 20-year-old <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rookie-power-rankings-kon-knueppel-leads-cooper-flagg-at-quarter-mark">currently leads all rookies in scoring and ranks</a> among the league leaders in made threes.</p><p>As the NBA season deepens, the Blue Devils’ freshman phenoms are no longer simply promising rookies; they’re headlining the Rookie of the Year race and pushing each other toward even bigger stages. If their first month is any indication, Duke’s historic flex might just be the beginning of a season-long fight for supremacy between two franchise-changing talents.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Duke Blue Devils makes historic Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel flex

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rookie-power-rankings-kon-knueppel-leads-cooper-flagg-at-quarter-mark');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Kon Knueppel leads Cooper Flagg at quarter mark');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/NBA-Rookie-Power-Rankings-Kon-Knueppel-leads-Cooper-Flagg-at-quarter-mark.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Kon Knueppel leads Cooper Flagg at quarter mark</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-02T14:26:17-08:00">December 2nd, 2:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-02T14:26:17-08:00">December 2nd, 2:26pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Many did not think the 2025 NBA rookie class would be anything special outside of Cooper Flagg. Well, we are learning very quickly that there are several rookies becoming essential parts of their new organizations outside of Flagg, and none more than Kon Knueppel with the Charlotte Hornets.</p><p>Flagg was the big name coming out of Duke, but Knueppel was also an NBA-ready talent on the Blue Devils’ roster.</p><p>Between his 3-point shooting and shot-making skills on the wing, Knueppel has quickly cemented himself as one of the long-term pillars in Charlotte, and that is why he was u<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-cooper-flagg-kon-knueppel-make-league-history-rookie-honors">ltimately named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month</a> for games played in October and November.</p><p>Flagg earned this honor in the Western Conference, marking the <a href="https://x.com/NBAPR/status/1995944601400553506" rel="noopener">first time in NBA history</a> that two first-year players from the same college have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month.</p><p>Although VJ Edgecombe got off to a fast start with the Philadelphia 76ers, he has since been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/nba-rookie-power-rankings-25-26-cooper-flagg-falls-behind">surpassed by Knueppel and Flagg in the NBA rookie rankings</a>, as it’s the Hornets’ wing who has the upper hand through the quarter mark of the 2025-26 season.</p><h2><b>1. Kon Knueppel – Charlotte Hornets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kon-Knueppel-warming-up.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous Ranking: #4</i></p><p><i>Stats: 21 games, 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 46.5 FG%, 41.5 3P%</i></p><p>Knueppel finished November averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range. His best performance came on Nov. 14 against the Milwaukee Bucks, as Knueppel scored a career-high 32 points on 12-20 shooting in his Milwaukee homecoming.</p><p>So far this season, the Hornets wing has logged 10 games with at least 20 points, and he’s made at least four triples in 11 different games.</p><p>Through 21 games, Knueppel has made 73 total threes, trailing just Donovan Mitchell (81), Stephen Curry (75), and AJ Green (74) in the NBA.</p><p>With Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball dealing with injuries to begin the year, Knueppel stepped up in Charlotte to be their leading scorer. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues now that Miller and Ball are back in the fold.</p><h2><b>2. Cooper Flagg – Dallas Mavericks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Mavs-Cooper-Flagg-shooting.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous Ranking: #5</i></p><p><i>Stats: 21 games, 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 46.6 FG%, 25.6 3P%</i></p><p>While Flagg got off to a slow start with the Dallas Mavericks, he has been sensational as of late. The Mavs rookie has scored at least 10 points in all but one game this season, and he’s registered three different 20-point performances over his last six games.</p><p>This includes a 35-point, eight-rebound night in a 114-110 win over the LA Clippers on Saturday.</p><p>What makes this <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-cooper-flagg-dallas-need-clippers">performance so memorable for Flagg</a>, besides it being a career-high scoring night for him, is that he became the youngest player to ever record 35 points in a game in league history. He also <a href="https://x.com/NBA/status/1995017536208011294" rel="noopener">joined LeBron James</a> as the only players in NBA history to score 25 points before turning 19.</p><p>A lot of lofty expectations were placed on Flagg entering the league, especially with many comparing him to LeBron as being a historic draft prospect. So far, he has delivered for Dallas, and he is right in the mix for the Rookie of the Year award with Knueppel entering December.</p><h2><b>3. VJ Edgecombe – Philadelphia 76ers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/VJ-Edgecombe-dunking-1.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous Ranking: #1</i></p><p><i>Stats: 16 games, 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 41.0 FG%, 36.0 3P%</i></p><p>When VJ Edgecombe began the year averaging 21.2 points per game through his first five contests for the Philadelphia 76ers, everyone started to believe he would be the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-vj-edgecombe-nba-debut-turns-heads-history-books">main competitor to Flagg for the Rookie of the Year award.</a></p><p>Although Edgecombe is still very much a part of this race with Flagg and Knueppel, he has looked like a rookie as of late, and he’s settled into his role alongside Tyrese Maxey.</p><p>Edgecombe averaged just 12.3 points per game in November, and that was mainly because of a left calf injury he battled through.</p><h2><b>4. Cedric Coward – Memphis Grizzlies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Grizzlies-Cedric-Coward-shooting-over-SGA.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous Ranking: #3</i></p><p><i>Stats: 21 games, 13.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 45.2 FG%, 35.4 3P%</i></p><p>The most consistent rookie this season has been Cedric Coward. Once again, the Memphis Grizzlies have a key rookie contributor, and Coward has been extremely reliable in his role as a key scoring weapon off the bench in Memphis.</p><p>Coward has scored at least 10 points in 16 of the 21 games he’s played to this point, and his efficiency as a catch-and-shoot option from the perimeter has helped open the Grizzlies’ offensive attack.</p><p>Without Ja Morant on the court due to a calf injury, Coward has stepped into more of a leadership role for his team, which will only help him once he reverts back to being the third or fourth option down the line.</p><h2><b>5. Derik Queen – New Orleans Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pelicans-Derik-Queen-vs.-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous Ranking: #8</i></p><p><i>Stats: 21 games, 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 48.0 FG%</i></p><p>Some have compared Derik Queen’s game to Nikola Jokic’s. As crazy as this may sound, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-new-orleans-may-stink-but-nikola-jokic-sees-vision-derik-queen">Jokic himself gave the rookie his stamp of approval,</a> claiming that he sees similarities between their games.</p><p>Since the New Orleans Pelicans fired Willie Green, Queen has been cast into the spotlight, and he’s been the Pelicans’ featured player.</p><p>His best three-game stretch came in the middle of November, as he averaged 23.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor.</p><p>These are the performances that have Pelicans fans excited about their future with Queen.</p><h2><b>6. Jeremiah Fears – New Orleans Pelicans</b></h2><p><i>Previous Ranking: #10</i></p><p><i>Stats: 21 games, 15.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 44.5 FG%, 36.0 3P%</i></p><p>With Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, and others out with injury for the Pelicans, Jeremiah Fears has been thrown into the spotlight, much like Derik Queen.</p><p>Since the start of November, Fears has averaged 16.1 points per game while shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range. This type of production proves that he can be the Pelicans’ franchise point guard.</p><h2><b>7. Ryan Kalkbrenner – Charlotte Hornets</b></h2><p><i>Previous Ranking: #7</i></p><p><i>Stats: 19 games, 9.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 81.1 FG%</i></p><p>Although Ryan Kalkbrenner has missed a couple of games with a sprained ankle, he still leads the league with his 81.1 shooting percentage. Between his rebounding and finishing abilities in the paint, Kalkbrenner has been the ideal center for the Hornets through the early portion of his career.</p><h2><b>8. Ace Bailey – Utah Jazz</b></h2><p><i>Previous Ranking: Not Ranked</i></p><p><i>Stats: 20 games, 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 46.2 FG%, 35.8 3P%</i></p><p>Now that Ace Bailey is starting and getting the chance to prove himself, he is emerging as a key offensive weapon alongside Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George for the Utah Jazz.</p><p>Over his last 12 games, Bailey is averaging 13.7 points per game while shooting 40.9 percent from 3-point range. In this span, Bailey has recorded at least 20 points in three different games.</p><h2><b>9. Tre Johnson – Washington Wizards</b></h2><p><i>Previous Ranking: #6</i></p><p><i>Stats: 15 games, 11.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 44.5 FG%, 39.5 3P%</i></p><p>Unfortunately, Tre Johnson is set to miss some time with a strained left hip flexor, which is unfortunate since he was elevating the Washington Wizards’ offense.</p><p>Through the first 15 games of his career, Johnson had made at least three triples five different times, and he scored in double figures 11 different times. His shooting potential presents optimism for the Wizards’ future.</p><h2><b>10. Egor Demin – Brooklyn Nets</b></h2><p><i>Previous Ranking: Not Ranked</i></p><p><i>Stats: 18 games, 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 37.7 FG%, 34.7 3P%</i></p><p>Not much has gone right for the Brooklyn Nets this season, as they appear to be focused on securing a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. However, Egor Demin has shown flashes of his lead-guard potential during the first month or so of the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Demin does a little bit of everything, and the Nets are hopeful that his perimeter shooting will continue to develop to the point where he will be a real offensive threat. Right now, he appears to be in the mix to be an All-Rookie performer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Kon Knueppel leads Cooper Flagg at quarter mark

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-cooper-flagg-kon-knueppel-make-league-history-rookie-honors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel make NBA history with rookie honors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Flagg-and-Knueppel.jpg"><figcaption>Bob Donnan-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel make NBA history with rookie honors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-02T12:09:42-08:00">December 2nd, 12:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-02T12:09:42-08:00">December 2nd, 12:09pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the main storylines entering this NBA season was the Rookie of the Year race, with Dallas Mavericks number one overall <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-rookie-history-not-seen-lebron-james">draft pick Cooper Flagg</a> expected by most to be the favorite for the award. Flagg has had a strong start to the year and does appear to be in the driver’s seat to win the award, but he has some stiff competition in his old Duke Blue Devils teammate and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-reggie-miller-bold-claim-kon-knueppel-stephen-curry">current Charlotte Hornets shooting guard</a>, Kon Knueppel.</p><p>Recently, the NBA announced that Flagg had won Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, and Knueppel had won for the Eastern Conference, and in the process, the duo made a <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1995938896895771034" rel="noopener">bit of league history.</a></p><p>“This marks the first time in NBA history that both Rookies of the Month are from the same college,” reported NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Flagg is currently averaging an even 17 points a game to go along with 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists, and although he hasn’t found the range from beyond the arc yet, he’s still shooting a decent 46.6 percent from the field overall.</p><p>Meanwhile, Knueppel is averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game for the Hornets, and is shooting 41.5% from beyond the three-point line, which is outstanding for any player, let alone a rookie. Knueppel recently took advantage of some shockingly bad defense from Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram to send that game into overtime, where the Hornets eventually won it in upset fashion.</p><p>While VJ Edgecome has also been worthy of consideration, right now, the Rookie of the Year race figures to be between Flagg and Knueppel, making it all the more puzzling that Duke wasn’t able to finish the job and win a championship last season.</p><p>The Mavericks and Hornets will face off for the first time this regular season on January 29.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel make NBA history with rookie honors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-reggie-miller-bold-claim-kon-knueppel-stephen-curry');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reggie Miller throws out bold claim on Hornets’ Kon Knueppel surpassing Stephen Curry');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Reggie-Miller-throws-out-bold-claim-on-Kon-Knueppel-surpassing-Stephen-Curry.jpg"><figcaption>© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reggie Miller throws out bold claim on Hornets’ Kon Knueppel surpassing Stephen Curry</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-25T12:40:13-08:00">November 25th, 12:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-25T12:40:13-08:00">November 25th, 12:40pm</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Is Charlotte Hornets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppel-drawing-klay-thompson-devin-booker-comparisons">rookie Kon Knueppel</a> the next Stephen Curry? Reggie Miller seems to think so.</p><p>Over the first 17 games of his NBA career, Knueppel has made 63 3-pointers, far above any other rookie and good enough for fourth-most in the league. And that shooting ability at age 20, Miller thinks, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5OfRQBC5iA&amp;t=7s" rel="noopener">could one day</a> help Knueppel unseat Curry as the most prolific shooter in NBA history.</p><p>“He’s<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-bill-simmons-kon-knueppel-roy-candidate"> winning Rookie of the Year,</a>” Miller said of Knueppel on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’. “And dare I say this, dare I say this: Is Stephen Curry going to be a little nervous in about 15 years?”</p><p>“Oh, with the three-point totals?” Patrick asked.</p><p>“Yes,” Miller responded. “Just go back and look at Steph’s first two or three years, in terms of three-pointers made, and what Kon has done this year. Just look at their first years. But here is the problem, you got to stay healthy — longevity. You’ve got to stay healthy. 17 years, 18 years for Stephen Curry. Can Kon Knueppel do that over a long period of time? I want to see it.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Knueppel is currently shooting 8.5 threes per game at a 43.8% clip, which, if he kept that up for an entire 82-game season, would put him at about 304 made 3-pointers for the year.</p><p>For reference, Curry made 317 combined 3-pointers between his first and second seasons in the NBA. Including his third season, during which he was limited to 26 games because of injury, Curry had only 372 career made 3-pointers. Other than the 2019-20 season, he has not had a season in which he has made fewer than 212 3-pointers, and in his unanimous MVP season in 2015-16, he made more threes that year (402) than he did in his first three seasons total.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Stephen Curry has now made 83 threes in the month of April. </p><p>That is the most EVER threes in a calendar month in <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAHistory?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBAHistory</a> 👏 <a href="https://t.co/n4CtcUX9z1">https://t.co/n4CtcUX9z1</a> <a href="https://t.co/38aSN1AyYo">pic.twitter.com/38aSN1AyYo</a></p><p>— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1386517439400214529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Of course, that sharpshooting rocketed Curry up the all-time 3-point list year-over-year until December 2021, when he surpassed Ray Allen to stand alone atop the league’s marksmen. He had passed Miller, who had held the 3-point record for nearly 13 years before Allen overtook him in 2011.</p><p>Since breaking the record four years ago, Curry has put considerable distance between himself and anyone even thinking of catching him; he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/inside-stephen-curry-journey-4000-career-3-pointers">currently has 4,131 made 3-pointers</a>, 894 more than James Harden and 1,158 more than Allen.</p><p>For Knueppel in 15 years to pass Curry’s current total, to which he will certainly add for at least a few more years, Knueppel would need to average about 275 made 3-pointers per season. To realistically pass Curry, who very realistically could exceed the 5,000 mark before retirement, Knueppel would fittingly have to hit more than 333 3-pointers per year for 15 seasons.</p><p>Knueppel, who had seven against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, will have a chance to add to his total tomorrow night when the Hornets play the New York Knicks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reggie Miller throws out bold claim on Hornets’ Kon Knueppel surpassing Stephen Curry

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppel-drawing-klay-thompson-devin-booker-comparisons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets’ Kon Knueppel is already drawing Klay Thompson, Devin Booker comparisons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hornets-Kon-Knueppel.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets’ Kon Knueppel is already drawing Klay Thompson, Devin Booker comparisons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-21T08:41:05-08:00">November 21st, 8:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-21T08:41:05-08:00">November 21st, 8:41am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While there are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-insider-reveals-absolutely-certain-mindset-lamelo-ball-trade">rumors surrounding the Charlotte Hornets and trading LaMelo Ball</a>, the future of the team seems to now surround Kon Knueppel, who’s been off to a fast start to the season. With some saying that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-bill-simmons-kon-knueppel-roy-candidate">Knueppel for the Hornets could be in consideration for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award</a>, the comparisons that he’s been getting should make any fan excited.</p><p>Kevin O’Connell, on his self-titled show, would have Tom Haberstroh on and ask the analyst about the best comparisons for Knueppel, with him first saying current Dallas Mavericks star and former Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson. Haberstroh would look at how Knueppel plays in the pick-and-roll, how he’s used as a ball-handler and screener, and <a href="https://x.com/HornetsReddit/status/1991872087942684768" rel="noopener">emphasize how similar it is</a> to when Thompson was with Golden State.</p><p>“But if you look at his two-point assisted rate, on 60% of his twos, he’s getting assisted Konueppel, his rookie season, exactly the same as Klay Thompson,” Haberstroh said. “And in terms of pure shooter, in terms of the footwork, you see it with Klay Thompson, it’s just like this guy is, possibly his ceiling is the next Klay Thompson is one of the great shooters we’ve ever seen, but also can do stuff with the ball.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🎙️ <a href="https://twitter.com/tomhaberstroh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomhaberstroh</a> on the best player comp for Kon Knueppel:</p><p>"…the next Klay Thompson, one of the greatest shooters we've ever seen, but also can do stuff with the ball."</p><p>"What about Devin Booker? I know that's aggressive, but Thompson might not be a high enough ceiling." 🤔 <a href="https://t.co/fVcLxuKkkC">https://t.co/fVcLxuKkkC</a> <a href="https://t.co/jx4yScvkGG">pic.twitter.com/jx4yScvkGG</a></p><p>— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) <a href="https://twitter.com/HornetsReddit/status/1991872087942684768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Hornets’ Kon Knueppel compared to Devin Booker</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hornets-rookie-Kon-Knueppel.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As it hasn’t been rare to see<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppel-drops-30-piece-milwaukee-homecoming"> Knueppel drop a 30-piece on a team for the Hornets</a> this season, he is averaging 22.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in his last nine contests. Another comparison that Haberstroh would mention that some could see as a higher ceiling is Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.</p><p>“What about [Booker]? Talk about pure scorer or big guards can manage a pick and roll and smooth player of great footwork,” Haberstroh said. “I know that’s aggressive, but we’re talking Klay Thompson might not be high enough ceiling for this guy, or he’s a little bit more dynamic…But as a big guard who can just shoot with the best of them and operate as a ball handler and get in the mid range, great footwork, sounds a lot like [Booker].”</p><p>At any rate, it remains to be seen the lengths of talent that Knueppel will display, but there’s no doubt that the sky is the limit.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets’ Kon Knueppel is already drawing Klay Thompson, Devin Booker comparisons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppel-drops-30-piece-milwaukee-homecoming');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets’ Kon Knueppel drops 30 piece in Milwaukee homecoming');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Charlotte-Hornets-guard-Kon-Knueppel-7-drives-towards-the-basket-against-Milwaukee-Bucks-guard-AJ-Green-20.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets’ Kon Knueppel drops 30 piece in Milwaukee homecoming</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-14T20:58:34-08:00">November 14th, 8:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-14T21:51:08-08:00">November 14th, 9:51pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kon Knueppel had a strong performance in his return to his home state in the Charlotte <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/lamelo-ball-playing-tonight-hornets-bucks-nba-cup-injury-report">Hornets’ road matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks</a> on Friday night.</p><p>Knueppel is going through the first season of his NBA career, coming off a strong collegiate career at Duke. He was born in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, making this matchup a sentimental one for the rookie forward.</p><p>Knueppel <a href="https://x.com/ESPNNBA/status/1989542420061487220?s=20" rel="noopener">didn’t disappoint in his homecoming</a>. In 41 minutes of action, he finished with 32 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. He shot 12-of-20 from the field, including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kon Knueppel WENT OFF despite the Hornets’ loss to the Bucks 👀</p><p>🔸 32 points<br>🔸 12-of-20 FG<br>🔸 4-of-9 3PT <a href="https://t.co/hhXjYXbEa0">pic.twitter.com/hhXjYXbEa0</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1989544114497503596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Kon Knueppel, Hornets played against Bucks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Charlotte-Hornets-guard-Kon-Knueppel-7.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite Kon Knueppel’s efforts, it wasn’t enough as the Hornets fell short in a 147-134 overtime loss to the Bucks.</p><p>Charlotte took it down to the wire on the road, putting Milwaukee on its heels. However, the visitors ran out of gas as they only scored five points in the overtime period, giving up 18 points on the other side.</p><p>Shot selection and ball movement made the difference in this matchup. The Bucks prevailed in both categories by shooting 65% from the field, including 59% from three, while creating 37 assists. It wasn’t the same for the Hornets as they converted 48% of their total shot attempts, including 38% from deep, while dishing out 31 assists.</p><p>Six players scored in double-digits for Charlotte, including Knueppel. Miles Bridges delivered a strong display of 32 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a block. He shot 12-of-24 overall, including 6-of-15 from downtown, and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. LaMelo Ball came next with 16 points and 10 assists, Moussa Diabate had 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Collin Sexton put up 14 points and four assists. Meanwhile, Sion James provided 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.</p><p>Charlotte fell to a 4-8 record on the season, holding the 12th spot of the Eastern Conference standings. They are three games above the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers while trailing the Boston Celtics by 1.5 games and Miami Heat by 2.5 games.</p><p>The Hornets will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being at home. They host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets’ Kon Knueppel drops 30 piece in Milwaukee homecoming

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-bill-simmons-kon-knueppel-roy-candidate');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bill Simmons labels Kon Knueppel his stealth ROY candidate');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kon-Knueppel.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bill Simmons labels Kon Knueppel his stealth ROY candidate</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-14T09:07:42-08:00">November 14th, 9:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-14T09:09:07-08:00">November 14th, 9:09am</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Though the Charlotte Hornets are 4-7, their rookie forward Kon Knueppel is <a href="http://google.com/search?q=clutchpoints+kon+knuppel&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS799US799&amp;oq=clutchpoints+kon+knuppel&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRiPAtIBCDc1MzdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">putting up some solid numbers</a>. Knueppel is averaging 16.6 PPG and 6.4 RPG and shooting 39.8% from 3-point range.</p><p>Stats that have led the one and only Bill Simmons to already <a href="https://youtu.be/A9DceiEcVao?t=4819" rel="noopener">put out into the universe</a> that Knueppel will be the Rookie of the Year, per The Bill Simmons Podcast.</p><p>“We’re not allowed to bet on this award, but I do think he’s a stealth Rookie of the Year candidate,” Simmons said. “He’s going to put up stats, play big minutes.”</p><p>The love Simmons has for Knueppel was evident during the draft, when Knueppel was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/draft-grade-hornets-new-rookie-kon-knueppel">drafted as the 4th pick</a> coming out of Duke.</p><p>“I loved Knueppel in the draft. I think he looks like he’s 27 years old already,” Simmons said. “LaMelo’s out, he’s running offense for them. He rebounds; he’s always in the right spots doing the right things. And I think when LaMelo and Brandon Miller come back, because they kind of hit on Kalkbrenner. He’s like an actual 30 minutes a game half-decent center, but I want to see him when they have all their guys back.”</p><p>Additionally, Simmons <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/bill-simmons-boldly-guarantees-hornets-164808706.html" rel="noopener">made the case</a> for Knueppel to play for the U.S. Olympic team in 2028 in Los Angeles, per Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire/Yahoo Sports.</p><p>“I’m guaranteeing he will be one of the 12 guys in 2028,” Simmons said. “He is perfect for international basketball. (He) can play multiple positions, can switch on defense, knows where to go and what to do, like very Derrick Whiteish. Just knows how to fit in with other guys and can shoot.”</p><h2><b>Who would Knueppel play with if he plays for Team USA?</b></h2><p>In 2024, the U.S. Olympic team featured the likes of LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, and Tyrese Haliburton, among others.</p><p>Two of those guys, Edwards and Haliburton, are likely to return for 2028. If Knueppel is fortunate enough to be on the team, he would play with them and other youngins.</p><p>Those names would include Cooper Flagg, Cade Cunningham, and Donovan Mitchell.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bill Simmons labels Kon Knueppel his stealth ROY candidate

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-kon-knueppel-potluck-claim-charlotte-136-point-explosion');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets’ Kon Knueppel drops ‘potluck’ claim after Charlotte’s 136-point explosion');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/LaMelo-Ball-goes-for-a-layup.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets’ Kon Knueppel drops ‘potluck’ claim after Charlotte’s 136-point explosion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T11:22:01-07:00">October 23rd, 11:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T11:22:01-07:00">October 23rd, 11:22am</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It was an explosive start to the season, as the Charlotte Hornets’ offense went off in a 136-117 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Amazingly, all <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-did-charlotte-strike-gold-1-2-rookie-punch">five starters for Charlotte hit double digits</a>, while four bench players also had 10 or more points in the Hornets’ season opener. The Hornets’ Kon Knueppel <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1981397708268077473" rel="noopener">described the scoring,</a> detailing how it all came together.</p><p>“It was kind of like a potluck tonight,” Knueppel told reporters. “Everybody was eating… that’s fun basketball, and that’s how it’s supposed to be played. So, hopefully, we can keep that going.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/charlotte-hornets-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release">Expectations for the Hornets were low</a> before the season opener, as many analysts believe they will likely finish at the bottom of the standings. Yet, they displayed something special in a dominating victory over the Nets, giving their fans something to celebrate. The Hornets also <a href="https://x.com/sam_perley/status/1981172764892446773" rel="noopener">set a franchise record</a> for most points in a season-opening game, per Sam Perley of Hornets.com.</p><p>Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 25 points while shooting 8 for 19. Likewise, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-why-lamelo-ball-is-in-perfect-position-for-massive-season">LaMelo Ball began his season strong</a> with 20 points and eight assists. Miles Bridges added 18 points and 11 rebounds. However, it was the play of rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-player-who-shock-world-breakout-2025-26-season">Knueppel that started his career on a good note</a>, tallying 11 points while shooting 4 for 6, including 3 for 4 from the three-point line. Fellow rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner had a double-double in his NBA regular-season debut, adding 10 points and 11 rebounds.</p><p>Collin Sexton led the bench with 15 points while shooting 4 for 9, while Moussa Diabate added 13 points while shooting 5 for 7. Tre Mann had 12, and Tidjane Salaun finished with 10 points.</p><p>Getting scoring from everyone played a major role in helping the team win the Hornets opener. Now, they hope to take the next step and continue developing as a team while improving their mark in the standings. Not only did the Hornets shoot the ball well, but they also won the board battle 50-38, which was a significant reason for the blowout win.</p><p>With the Hornets’ opener in the rearview mirror, the focus is on what they can do next. The Hornets will now travel to the City of Brotherly Love to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets’ Kon Knueppel drops ‘potluck’ claim after Charlotte’s 136-point explosion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-kon-knueppel-duke-teammates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg drops ‘competition’ truth bomb on facing Kon Knueppel, ex-Duke teammates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg-dribbles-the-ball-against-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg drops ‘competition’ truth bomb on facing Kon Knueppel, ex-Duke teammates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-11T20:47:38-07:00">October 11th, 8:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-11T20:47:38-07:00">October 11th, 8:47pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets in a preseason game on Saturday night, losing 120-116. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-selects-cooper-flagg-2025-nba-draft">2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg</a> played well, especially in the first half. He ended up playing into the third quarter before his night came to an end, as he finished the contest with 11 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals. One of the storylines heading into the game was that Flagg would be playing against some of his former Duke teammates — such as Kon Knueppel. Flagg <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1977215841285411143" rel="noopener">addressed playing his ex-teammates</a> after the game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cooper Flagg on playing against his former college teammates, such as Kon Knueppel <a href="https://t.co/JpH0lrW8lp">pic.twitter.com/JpH0lrW8lp</a></p><p>— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1977215841285411143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“It was cool, having three former teammates on the same team, being able to play against them at this level is pretty cool,” Flagg told reporters. “I just feel blessed to have this opportunity to be able to play against them. It was pretty cool.”</p><p>Did playing against them give Flagg any extra motivation?</p><p>“Not really, but it is always nice to have that extra little bit of competition,” Flagg said.</p><p>Flagg, as mentioned, was selected first overall in the draft. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/charlotte-hornets-kon-knueppel-concern-2025-nba-summer-league">Knueppel would be selected three picks later</a> at No. 4 overall.</p><p>“It’s pretty cool, you know… number four pick is a big deal,” Flagg said of Knueppel. “Just being happy for him. That’s somebody that’s gonna be a friend of mine for life. I’m just happy for him. I think he’s in a great situation and a great spot. Just so happy for him moving forward with the opportunity that he has.”</p><p>Cooper Flagg and the Mavs’ next preseason game is scheduled for Monday night in Utah against the Jazz. Dallas will then finish the preseason against the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas on Wednesday before their regular season opener in Dallas against the San Antonio Spurs on October 22.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg drops ‘competition’ truth bomb on facing Kon Knueppel, ex-Duke teammates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/charlotte-hornets-kon-knueppel-concern-2025-nba-summer-league');   ga('set', 'title', 'Charlotte Hornets’ biggest Kon Knueppel concern despite winning NBA Summer League MVP');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kon-Knueppel.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Charlotte Hornets’ biggest Kon Knueppel concern despite winning NBA Summer League MVP</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-23T09:43:14-07:00">July 23rd, 9:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-23T09:43:14-07:00">July 23rd, 9:43am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets entered the 2025 NBA offseason with one clear goal — to turn the page. After years of mediocrity, mismanagement, and mounting losses, the Hornets needed a spark. That <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hornets-news-behind-kon-knueppel-charlotte-is-on-the-path-to-establishing-winning-culture">spark may have arrived in the form of Kon Knueppel</a>, the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, who just capped off a sensational Summer League campaign by leading the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-summer-league-championship-win-embarrassing-franchise-curse">Hornets to their first-ever championship</a> of any kind, a title run that ended with a thrilling 83-78 victory over the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas.</p><p>Despite the optimism, however, the Hornets must proceed with caution. Winning the Summer League is no guarantee of regular-season success, and Knueppel, while promising, still comes with critical development questions the franchise will need to address before fully counting on him to be a foundational piece.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Charlotte Hornets are <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA2KSummerLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA2KSummerLeague</a> Champions!</p><p>Undefeated in Vegas 🏆 <a href="https://t.co/rKg2bYkGUm">pic.twitter.com/rKg2bYkGUm</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1947160357937574228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>In five appearances, Knueppel averaged 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, while shooting 40.6% from the field and 34.3% from deep. But beyond the box score, it was his commitment that turned heads. While other top lottery picks were benched or load-managed, Knueppel played through pain and pressure, viewing every Summer League minute as a chance to set a new tone in Charlotte.</p><p>Knueppel, the smooth-shooting wing out of Duke, was everything Charlotte hoped for when they selected him: tough, competitive, and hungry to win. He scored a team-high 21 points in the championship game, earning Summer League Finals MVP honors, <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-2k26-all-summer-league-teams-announced" rel="noopener">NBA 2K26 All-Summer League Second Team</a>, and did so despite playing through a painful eye injury that required five stitches. For a franchise with a tortured history, Knueppel’s grit was a breath of fresh air.</p><h2><b>Hornets Summer League glory: Kon Knueppel shines, but concerns remain</b></h2><p>Yet, despite the MVP award, there’s a lingering question hovering around Knueppel: Can he defend at an NBA level?</p><p>Knueppel’s effort is unquestioned, but his lateral quickness, closeouts, and on-ball defense showed signs of concern. At times, he was beaten off the dribble by quicker wings or got caught navigating screens. His awareness is high, but the foot speed isn’t elite, and in the modern NBA, where wings are often the most dynamic players on the floor, that’s a red flag.</p><p>Even <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/exclusive-dylan-harper-vj-edgecombe-kon-knueppel-nba-summer-league">Knueppel himself acknowledged the gap</a>: “Going from college to the NBA, the one area I’ve worked on a lot is spacing, especially defensively. These are elite players, and you have to be locked in with your positioning at all times,” he said.</p><p>In college, Knueppel could get by with positioning and effort. In the NBA, he’ll be guarding All-Stars and elite shot creators nightly. That adjustment may take time, and without significant improvement, opposing offenses could target him in pick-and-rolls and iso sets.</p><h2><b>Knueppel’s Summer League: Toughness, versatility, and willingness</b></h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">KON KNUEPPEL CLUTCH 3-POINTER TO GO UP 4 🔥</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a>) <a href="https://t.co/Eeb8TucO9M">pic.twitter.com/Eeb8TucO9M</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1947144843823612401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Knueppel’s Summer League journey was about more than stats; it was about culture-setting. In a league where many young stars opt to sit out games, Knueppel actively requested to play every game, even after suffering a gash above his eye during the semifinals. That decision alone endeared him to Charlotte fans and coaches.</p><p>While his shooting numbers were a concern (8-of-21 FG and 4-of-11 3PT in the final), his shot-making under pressure, quick release, and size at 6-foot-6 showed why scouts were so high on him during the draft process. He demonstrated a knack for secondary playmaking, finding cutters and creating space with off-ball movement. His ability to shift between small forward and shooting guard provided lineup flexibility that the Hornets desperately lacked last season.</p><p>Knueppel was also praised for his basketball IQ, stemming from his time at Duke under Jon Scheyer. His decision-making in late-game moments, particularly in the title match against Sacramento, was impressive for a rookie.</p><h2><b>How the Hornets can mitigate this</b></h2><p>The Hornets are aware of these challenges, and their coaching staff has already begun emphasizing strength training and footwork drills for the rookie. His frame is solid, and if his conditioning and agility catch up, Knueppel could develop into at least an average NBA defender, especially in team schemes that mask individual flaws.</p><p>With LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller locked in as the top two scoring options, Knueppel doesn’t need to be a star right away. Instead, the Hornets are hoping he becomes an elite complementary piece: someone who spaces the floor, competes on defense, and plays winning basketball.</p><p>That said, if his defense becomes a liability, it will be hard to keep him on the court in crucial moments. The Hornets’ front office knows how fragile a rebuild can be. They’ve watched previous lottery picks flame out. They can’t afford to make that mistake again.</p><h2><b>What’s next for Hornets and Kon Knueppel</b></h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hornets rising star Kon Knueppel with his Summer League Championship Game MVP and ring 🏆💍</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a>) <a href="https://t.co/1Y5CGYYNjz">pic.twitter.com/1Y5CGYYNjz</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1947157618578866212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Hornets are entering a pivotal season. With LaMelo Ball returning from injury and Brandon Miller taking a leap, Charlotte needs production from its role players, Knueppel chief among them. His Summer League heroics gave fans hope, but the real test begins in training camp.</p><p>If he continues to bring the same toughness, humility, and willingness to learn, Knueppel may very well become the culture-changer Charlotte’s been searching for. But until his defense catches up to his offensive polish, there will be concerns about just how high his ceiling truly is.</p><p>The MVP is real. The heart is undeniable. But the Hornets know better than most, one good summer doesn’t make a savior.</p><p>Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Sion James all resemble the character Lee wants on his team, and all four rookies put together solid performances.</p><p>Although none of these four players are freak athletes or star-like talents, they all fit the mold of being dependable, reliable options for the Hornets to begin setting a new standard in Charlotte.</p><p>This should be the main takeaway of why the Hornets are the ultimate winners from the Summer League.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Charlotte Hornets’ biggest Kon Knueppel concern despite winning NBA Summer League MVP

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/hornets-news-behind-kon-knueppel-charlotte-is-on-the-path-to-establishing-winning-culture');   ga('set', 'title', 'Behind Kon Knueppel, Hornets on path to establishing winning culture');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kon-Knueppel-Brandon-Miller-Charles-Lee-Charlotte-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Behind Kon Knueppel, Hornets on path to establishing winning culture</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-22T18:01:00-07:00">July 22nd, 6:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-23T13:24:24-07:00">July 23rd, 1:24pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-James Harden era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his free time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter and Instagram for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets are been stuck in mediocrity for years, but the franchise finally appears to have a clear direction and is hoping to change its ways. Kon Knueppel and KJ Simpson are hoping to be big parts of the changes happening in Charlotte over the next few seasons.</p><p>Behind a strong game from Knueppel, the Hornets won the Summer League Championship for the first time in the franchise’s history.</p><h2><b>Hornets’ Kon Knueppel reacts to winning Summer League MVP</b></h2><p>Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets brought home the Summer League Championship this past weekend, continuing changes in a positive direction under new General Manager Jeff Peterson and head coach Charles Lee.</p><p>Knueppel finished the title-winning game with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds, and two assists. And that’s with the Hornets’ No. 4 overall pick not even a lock to play a few hours beforehand.</p><p>During the team’s semifinal game on Saturday evening, Kon Knueppel left the game after suffering a laceration above his right eye. He played just 21 minutes, but finished second on the team in points with 17 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. His status for Sunday’s final, however, was up in the air.</p><p>“We had to fight a lot of people to get me on the court today,” Knueppel said after the victory. “You know, it wasn’t necessarily from within the organization, so it was a no-brainer for me. But I just wanted to get out there and help the guys, and get this done tonight.</p><p>“I mean, they just wanted me to know the risk involved. And I thought it was pretty marginal for just a couple stitches. It was a cut. So, it helped. That’s not going to hold me back from playing the championship game.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kon-Knueppel-drives-to-the-basket-durign-the-Charlotte-Hornets-Summer-League-game-against-the-Dallas-Mavericks.jpg"><figcaption>Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Charlotte arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 6th — a full four days before the NBA’s Summer League even tipped off. That allowed the team to practice together, build chemistry, and learn about what NBA life would be like through the league’s “Rookie Transition Program.”</p><p>“It’s been fun. It’s a long time to be here. We were here for two full weeks. But it was a great time. It’s always fun to get out here and play, and I hadn’t played since the Final Four game, so it was really good to get out and compete against high level talent.”</p><p>The Hornets went a perfect 4-0 in regular “season” play, won their semifinal game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, 109-80, and advanced to face the Sacramento Kings in the Summer League championship game. The Kings came into Sunday’s final two-time winners of the Summer League title, winning it in its second season in 2014 and in 2021.</p><p>The unique part of the title winning roster is that it featured a number of players who will be on the Hornets roster come training camp in September. Kon Knueppel, KJ Simpson, Liam McNeeley, KJ Simpson, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Tidjane Salaun, Sion James, and Damion Baugh all played for the team in Las Vegas. All of those players are already signed to standard NBA contracts or two-way deals, meaning they’ll have chances to compete for playing time this fall.</p><p>“I’m just really excited to be a part of the team,” Knueppel told ClutchPoints. “You know, I just got here. I can’t wait to get to training camp and, you know, mini camps here in August. It’ll be a lot of fun, you know, get, get with the, with the real guys. And I just can’t wait.</p><p>“It’s a lot of guys that are going to be on the roster, and you always compete to win. So I think building winning habits, even if it is summer league, is very beneficial.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">KON KNUEPPEL CLUTCH 3-POINTER TO GO UP 4 🔥</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a>) <a href="https://t.co/Eeb8TucO9M">pic.twitter.com/Eeb8TucO9M</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1947144843823612401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Knueppel was named to the All-Summer League Second Team, averaging 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers per game. He did struggle with his efficiency, shooting just 40.6 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three, but his process was solid, repeatedly making the right plays for his team.</p><p>KJ Simpson was another standout for the Charlotte Hornets in Summer League. Alongside Knueppel, Simpson was also named to the All-Summer League Second Team. In six appearances, Simpson averaged 16 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.8 three-pointers per game.</p><p>“We just fought,” KJ Simpson said after the victory. “We just found a way. I mean from guys going down to guys stepping up, we had some key guys step up tonight. It started obviously with everyone. Kon set the tone and it just trickled down after that, trickle down effect. We just found a way to win. It wasn’t going to be easy. I mean the Kings they got here for a reason. We just knew that if we stay together though, we’ll come out on top.”</p><p>Simpson had eight points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in the Summer League Championship game, leading all players in the game in rebounds and second in assists behind teammate Damion Baugh (nine).</p><p>Five players scored in double-figures for Charlotte, who was without Liam McNeeley, Sion James, and Tidjane Salaun.</p><p>“We just want to carry this momentum, honestly,” KJ Simpson explained how this win can catapult his team. “Carry this momentum. Not just for myself individually, but onto the Hornets. We bringing this winning culture that we just established in Summer League. Obviously myself, Tidjane, the other guys, the rookies, we all were able to build a chemistry by coming out here and competing. So now we just can’t wait to add that to the big group with the Hornets. I’m just happy and I think it’s going to carry over really well.”</p><p>No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, No. 2 pick Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs, No. 6 pick Tre Johnson of the Washington Wizards, played just two games for their teams in Las Vegas. Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe only played one game. Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey didn’t play a single game.</p><p>Kon Knueppel joined New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears as the only two lottery picks to play every single one of their games at NBA Summer League. Obviously, a lot of those decisions are out of the hands of the players, but Kon Knueppel made it known he wanted to be out there if he was healthy.</p><p>“I think you play. If you like basketball, you play the games. I know some of the [decisions], a lot of it is out of their hands. People make them sit. But I just want to play.”</p><p>They still have a ways to go and are likely a few years away from being legitimate playoff competitors, but for the first time in a long time, the Hornets appear on the rise. Charlotte has added a good mix of youth with veteran experience, they’ve established a strong coaching staff, and they’re set on a path that should see them competing at a high level in due time.</p><p>“I think coach really instilled the ideas of competitiveness, competing all the time, and then being together,” Knueppel added. “So that’s what we did, and every game we played together, and had a good outcome for us.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Behind Kon Knueppel, Hornets on path to establishing winning culture

Exclusive: What Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel said about NBA Summer League

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-player-kon-knueppel-thinks-shouldve-won-summer-league-mvp');   ga('set', 'title', 'The Hornets player Kon Knueppel thinks should’ve won Summer League MVP');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hornets-guard-Kon-Knueppel-7-drives-the-ball-against-Mavericks-forward-Matt-Cross-43.jpg"><figcaption>Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>The Hornets player Kon Knueppel thinks should’ve won Summer League MVP</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-21T07:09:26-07:00">July 21st, 7:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-21T07:09:26-07:00">July 21st, 7:09am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There won’t be a downtown parade, but the Charlotte Hornets have a championship to be proud of after beating the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League championship game on Sunday night at Thomas &amp; Mack Center in Las Vegas.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppels-awesome-reaction-encouraging-klay-thompson-message">Led by rookie guard Kon Knueppel</a>, the Hornets outlasted the Kings via a score of 83-78. The former Duke Blue Devils star flexed his offensive might in the finals, as he poured in 21 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes of action. He shot just 8-for-21 from the field, but he went 4-for-11 from behind the arc and finished the contest with a game-high plus-9.</p><p>Thanks to his performance against the Kings, Knueppel was awarded the Most Valuable Player award in the championship game.</p><p>“Winning is always better than losing,” Knueppel said after the game, as the Hornets <a href="https://x.com/i/status/1947155688750248021" rel="noopener">celebrated the title win on the court</a>. “Good competitive game, good to get out here with the guys.”</p><p>However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppel-exits-summer-league-game-head-injury">Hornets’ No. 4 pick in the 2025 NBA draft</a> also did not think that he should have won the MVP award, saying that KJ Simpson deserved it more.</p><p>“I probably didn’t deserve it if it was a whole-week award. KJ was our best player all week. So props to him, man, he made me look good,” added Knueppel.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hornets rising star Kon Knueppel with his Summer League Championship Game MVP and ring 🏆💍</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a>) <a href="https://t.co/1Y5CGYYNjz">pic.twitter.com/1Y5CGYYNjz</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1947157618578866212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>As mentioned by Knueppel, the award was not given for someone’s performance in the entire Summer League, but rather for one’s showing in the championship game.</p><p>In any case, Simpson did have a solid outing versus the Kings. Simpson generated 11 points with seven rebounds and five assists in an all-around performance in 31 minutes. Another Hornets rookie, Ryan Kalkbrenner, provided 15 points and nine rebounds plus a steal and a block.</p><p>Simpson had a bit of an edge over Knueppel and some of his Summer League teammates, as he already has prior NBA experience. He appeared in 36 games with the Hornets in the 2024-25 season, averaging 7.8 points, 3.1 assists and 3.0 boards per contest while posting just a 40.0 percent effective field goal rate.</p><p>Through six games in the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Simpson, selected in the second round of the NBA draft last year, averaged 16.0 points. Knueppel, on the other hand, recorded 15.6 points per contest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
19.4	5.8	2.9	0.2	0.8

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
19.4	5.8	2.9	0.2	0.8

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