After spending some time in the gym with Kon Knueppel this offseason, Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been impressed by what the rookie can do on the court.

He was even caught off guard by one key attribute.

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Knueppel was a second-team All-ACC selection last season at Duke after averaging 14.4 points, four rebounds, 2.7 assists and one steal on 40.6% shooting from 3-point range. He ranked seventh in the country in free-throw percentage (91.4) and ninth in win shares (6.9).

The fourth pick was highly touted in the draft because of his shooting and ability to facilitate offenses. He even brings some athleticism to the Hornets, which stood out to Ball.

I’m not going to lie. I’m going to go with the bounce, for real. I didn’t know he could jump like that. He even caught a few little dunks. I’m like, ‘Hold on! I’ve seen “White Men Can’t Jump” at the end. He has been kind of jumping like that the whole day, though.’ Solid.

Knueppel helped the Hornets to the NBA Summer League championship, averaging 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals in five appearances. He was named MVP of the title game after scoring a team-high 21 points and five rebounds.

The 20-year-old introduced himself well with that run in the desert by showcasing his overall skill set and ability. He likes that he may be able to surprise some with his athleticism.

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“I’m not a high flyer by any means,” Knueppel said. “I had a couple here this month, so maybe that surprised some people a little bit, but I think being able to sneak up on people a little bit athletically — you’ve got to be pretty athletic to play in the NBA — has been a good development, I guess.”

Knueppel is a part of a stacked draft class for the Hornets, along with Liam McNeeley (29th pick), Sion James (33rd pick) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (34th pick). They project to help the team further its rebuild next to the likes of Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Tidjane Salaün.

The 6-foot-5 guard enters the 2025-26 season sixth in Rookie of the Year odds and is projected to be a starter for the Hornets. The team is eager to see him take the court.

“He has got a true, winning spirit to him, and I think that he is going to immediately add the ability to stretch the floor for us,” coach Charles Lee said. “He shoots it really well. … He embraces the fact that people are going to try to go at him. He is a rookie, and some think that maybe he can’t guard, so they’re going to go at him. He embraces it, and I love that about him. There is a winning mentality in Kon that I think is undeniable.”

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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets news: LaMelo Ball discloses one surprise about Kon Knueppel