After going 19-63, the Charlotte Hornets were tied for the best odds to receive the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. It was a chance for them to select Duke superstar Cooper Flagg, who had taken the college world by storm in the winter and spring.

As the lottery came and went, the Hornets fell down to four, missing out on the chance to select Duke’s star.

So they took his running mate, Kon Knueppel.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Knueppel would be the NBA’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, for games played in October and November. He beat out third overall pick VJ Edgecombe, and teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner to do so.

Flagg, who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks first overall, was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month.

Kon excelled in his first month as an NBA player. While the team underperformed, the former fourth overall pick was everything the Hornets could have asked for. He averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, while shooting 47.0% from the field and 41.3% from three (on 8.4 attempts per night).

He’s the third Hornets rookie this decade to win Rookie of the Month, following Brandon Miller (Jan-Mar 2024) and LaMelo Ball (Dec-Mar 2020-21).

“He’s so hard on himself, which is exactly what you want. He cares. He cares to the highest level,” President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson said to head coach Charles Lee while watching Kon’s pre-draft workout. “The character, the person, IQ, all that.”

It was a slam dunk of a draft class for Peterson, who so far has seemingly nailed all four of his selections. Although Liam McNeeley has just shown flashes, Knueppel looks to be a future all-star, and Ryan Kalkbrenner/Sion James look to be impactful role players going forward.

It’s one of the first steps in a long process to get the Hornets into NBA relevance, but Kon’s early ascension is everything the franchise could have asked for. He’s been the best player for the Hornets so far this season, and could very well end up as the face of the franchise.

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