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NBA draft prospect Kon Knueppel on his deep love for basketball

Former Duke player Kon Knueppel speaks with Bryan Kalbrosky ahead of the NBA Draft about his love for the sport of basketball.

Sports Seriously

Based on being the fourth player selected in the NBA Draft, by the Charlotte Hornets, on June 25, the basketball evaluations on former Wisconsin Lutheran High School and Duke University star Kon Knueppel have obvious plus-plus marks.

His versatile offensive mix and ability to move without the ball is a match in almost any offense. And most national media agree that Charlotte’s decision to pick Knueppel was an easy choice.

Here’s a roundup of the draft grades Knueppel and the Hornets got and what each site had to say about them:

Grade: Third-best player in the draft

Sam Vecenie wrote: “Knueppel gets unfairly characterized as just a shooter. The versatility of his game makes him such an attractive prospect. It’s hard to find players in the NBA who can dribble, pass, shoot, make decisions and defend on top of having solid positional size. Knueppel proved he could do all those things this season, and that’s why I believe he can become the kind of player who helps a team win. He’ll likely be an elite shooter who can get to his shot from a variety of situations. That’s the skill he’ll be able to build his career on early. As defenders close out on him, he should be able to add to his game and build off that threat. We know he can make decisions and pass, and we know he’s comfortable putting the ball on the deck. Realistically, the only thing I’m worried about with Knueppel is the defensive end, where the slow feet might hinder him at the highest levels, but it likely won’t hurt him much in the regular season.

Grade: A

J. Kyle Mann wrote: “There are conditional players in every draft — players who need the knobs tweaked just right so that they can thrive. That ain’t Knueppel. He’s a universal donor. The Duke wing fits everywhere because (not unlike his Duke running mate who went first overall) his greatest strength — in this case, shooting the basketball — is amplified by his other traits. He does a little bit of everything. He’s not a ball-pounding problem solver initiating the offense at this point. His pick-and-roll load was limited, but when Duke prefaced a Knueppel touch with a down screen, good things tended to happen. There are still a ton more questions to answer in Charlotte, but if you assume they rock with what they have (namely, Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball) for a bit longer, it now has a triumvirate of movement shooting and varying degrees of playmaking ability.” 

Grade: A

Kevin O’Connor wrote: “Knueppel has a sharpshooter’s stroke, brainy pick-and-roll playmaking, and crafty scoring feel. He’s the type of player who can come in right away and fit on any team, including perfectly between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. He’s got a slick midrange bag and strength scoring inside, but to become a player that takes over games he’ll need to overcome his average athleticism. This would matter a bit less playing in Charlotte, since he could be one of multiple ball-handlers on the team.”

Team grade: A-

Kurt Helin wrote: “It was a good day for the Hornets. First, you can never go wrong taking the best shooter on the board, which Knueppel was. It’s an especially smart pick when he can spread the floor for LaMelo Ball and knock down 3-pointers. He is also a quality defender (which they need next to Ball). He’s going to be a good fit with the Hornets between Ball and Brandon Miller on the wing.”

Grade: B

Adam Finkelstein wrote: “He can play right now. He knows how to play with other good players and can hold his own offensively. He showed it at Duke. And when Cooper Flagg went down in the ACC Tournament, he showed he can be the alpha. He’s an incredibly skilled, very strong, very smart player. My concern is on the defensive end. He’s not an elite athlete. He wasn’t guarding NBA-level two-guards at Duke. How will that fit next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in Charlotte?”

Grade: B

Kevin Sweeney wrote: “After plenty of speculation that this pick could be on the move, Charlotte elected to keep the pick and draft Knueppel, who was essential to Duke’s Final Four run. This is a move to push toward the playoffs, building around a pair of high-usage options in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller by adding an elite shooter with great feel for the game in Knueppel. Despite his athletic limitations, many in NBA circles believe he has more upside than just a role-player shooter as he continues to add to his three-level scoring and playmaking arsenal.”

Team grade: B

Jeff Zilgitt and Lorenzo Reyes wrote: “The Hornets need shooting. They were 28th in 3-point shooting percentage, 30th in field goal percentage and 30th in effective field goal percentage. Duke’s Kon Knueppel can help a massive shortcoming on Charlotte’s roster.”

Grade: C-plus

Zach Buckley wrote: “Evaluating Knueppel starts with drooling over his deadeye shooting. He cashed 40.6% of his perimeter looks and 91.4% of his foul shots as a teenager on one of college basketball’s marquee clubs. His mechanics are pure, his release is quick, and he’s always ready and willing to launch. The evaluation goes beyond that, though—for better and worse. The good portion is that Knueppel checks a ton of other boxes. He can handle, feed open teammates, create advantages off pick-and-rolls, zip around closeouts and consistently be in the right place at the right time defensively. But the less flattering side of the scouting report features rather serious athletic concerns, which could cause him problems on both ends of the floor.”