We’re barely a third of the way through the 2025–2026 NBA season, and Kon Knueppel continues to leave me in shock and awe. After Monday night’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he became the fastest player in league history to hit 100 three-pointers – doing it in just 29 games. This isn’t a rookie simply finding his rhythm; this is the Charlotte Hornets’ best player on almost every single night.

Knueppel’s rookie season has quickly become one of the league’s most captivating storylines, and when it comes to the Rookie of the Year race, only one name truly stands between him and the award: Cooper Flagg. Both former Duke standouts are lighting up the league, but Knueppel’s rise feels different. Flagg is living up to expectations, but Knueppel is shattering his.

Side-by-side comparison to Steph

Knueppel’s historic shooting start has placed him in rare company. I am by no means saying he is the next Stephen Curry, but I do want to show the numbers side-by-side. Here are their numbers this season:

Curry: 28.7 PPG, 47.3 FG%, 39.8 3P%, 91.2 FT%, 64.2 TS%, 

Knueppel: 19.4 PPG, 47.4 FG%, 41.4 3P%, 91.9 FT%, 63.4 TS%

While Curry is scoring more points per contest due to the amount of volume (about six more field goals attempted per game), the efficiency metrics are nearly identical. Steph is past his prime, but he’s still doing his thing at the age of 37.

Off-ball impact

An often overlooked skill is what basketball players do off the ball. This is how Knueppel really gets into his bag. He never stops moving, always forcing defenses to work harder to stop him or his teammates. His gravity as a rookie commands so much attention. 

Of course, it’s not at the level of the greatest shooter of all time himself, but I can’t help but point out the similarities. It’s the kind of off-ball movement that just doesn’t create shots for himself, but it elevates everyone around him. The Hornets are a better team with Knueppel on the floor, on-ball or off-ball.

Knueppel is doing all of this at just 20 years old. The truth is simple: even if this were his long‑term ceiling, he’d already qualify as a strong draft pick. But this isn’t his ceiling, not even close. He’s showing real room to grow, and that’s what gives Hornets fans hope for the future. It genuinely feels like one of the most impressive rookie seasons we’ve seen in a long time. If Flagg wasn’t in the picture, the Rookie of the Year crown would already be sitting on Knueppel’s head.