ESPN analyst praises the impact of rookie Kon Knueppel

March 27, 2026, 6:30 p.m. ET

Fresh off another impactful performance for the Charlotte Hornets, rookie Kon Knueppel earned national recognition for the effort on Friday by ESPN senior writer Brian Windhorst.

Knueppel produced 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists on Thursday, leading the Hornets to a 114-103 win over the New York Knicks, who had won seven straight games. He went 6-of-10 from 3-point range and finished a plus-15 in 37 minutes of work.

While his efficiency from beyond the arc certainly stands out, Windhorst was most impressed with how he affected the game in other areas. Speaking on “NBA Today,” Windhorst lauded his effort to help the Hornets remain firmly in the play-in race in the Eastern Conference.

I think this game highlighted what Kon Knueppel has meant to the Hornets this year. … He had 11 rebounds in this game. He had eight assists in this game. When you talk to people in Charlotte, what they say is, ‘We knew that Kon could shoot. We didn’t understand how well he could rebound, how well he could distribute.’ Frankly, he sets screens well ahead of someone who is his age. His impact for the Hornets has been up and down the line. We saw that take place last night.

Knueppel is averaging 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 43.8% from 3-point range in 72 appearances. He leads the rookie class in total points (1,378) and is one of two first-year players with five or more 30-point games.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!

The fourth overall pick on Feb. 26 set the NBA record for the most 3-pointers in a season by a rookie, surpassing Keegan Murray (206). He currently leads the league in 3s and is eight shy of setting the single-season franchise record held by Kemba Walker (260).

Knueppel recently jumped ahead of Cooper Flagg as the front-runner to win Rookie of the Year behind his sustained run. With his emergence, along with the stellar play of others around him, the Hornets are on the verge of postseason basketball for the first time since 2016.