NBA
Hornets’ Kon Knueppel models his game after this former Warriors sharpshooter
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated21 hours ago on August 01, 2025
With the fourth pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Kon Knueppel was selected by the Hornets. He was the second Duke Blue Devil to be drafted in the top four. Cooper Flagg was the consensus #1 pick.
Knueppel and the Hornets’ summer league squad won the championship game a few weeks ago. The rookie SG was named the summer league championship game MVP. Shortly after, Kon Knueppel received a special message from a four-time NBA champion. Klay Thompson congratulated Knueppel on winning MVP and was humbled that the rookie is trying to model his game after him.
Kon Knueppel and Klay Thompson have similarities in their game
Kon Knueppel got a surprise message from Klay Thompson a few days before winning Sumer League Championship Game MVP 🙌🏆 @StateFarm
(via Taylor Rooks X) pic.twitter.com/F3OfCk6XRA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 21, 2025
After a 19-63 record in 2024-25, the Hornets landed the fourth pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Selecting Duke’s Kon Knueppel was an easy choice for Charlotte. The early returns from Knueppel are positive for the Hornets. Over his final four summer league games, Knueppel averaged 18.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In the summer league championship game vs. the Kings, the fourth overall pick had 21 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
That was enough for Kon Knueppel to be named Summer League championship game MVP. He was also named to the All-Summer League Second Team. After winning the MVP of the championship game, Knueppel got a special shoutout from an idol of his. Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson gave the rookie a message he’ll never forget.
Kon Knueppel on playing on two feet:
“It evens out the athleticism…I’m not super athletic, so being able to play off two feet..now they have to be ready for a shot fake or a pivot. It kind of evens the playing field.”
Straight from the PGC curriculum 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/p5Be0meK6z
— PGC Basketball (@PGCbasketball) July 4, 2025
Thompson congratulated Knueppel for winning MVP and was humbled that the rookie is modeling his game after him. At first glance, there are similarities between Thompson and Knueppel. They’re both larger guards who excel in the catch-and-shoot. One aspect of Thompson’s game that Knueppel utilizes is finishing his shots off two feet. This allows Knueppel to stay balanced in his jump shot.
Kon Knueppel mentioned how Thompson was an elite two-way player before the injuries. In college, Kon Knueppel averaged 1.0 steal per game and made his presence felt defensively. At six-foot-seven, Knueppel has a size advantage at SG. How quickly can Kon Knueppel adjust to the NBA when the 2025-26 regular season begins? Charlotte has players with established roles, but it will be hard to deny getting Knueppel involved.
