Kon Knueppel has led the Charlotte Hornets somewhere they’ve never been before.

They’ll play in the NBA Las Vegas Summer League semifinal.

They needed to win by a big margin to qualify Thursday on point differential, and they pulled out a 25-point victory to do just that.

Advertisement

Knueppel was excellent as he has been all summer. The No. 4 overall pick out of Duke had 19 points and six assists.

K.J. Simpson matched those totals with 19 points and six assists of his own.

MORE: Damian Lillard’s Portland legacy is officially secure

The Hornets are trying to enter a new era.

LaMelo Ball is established. Brandon Miller is on the rise. And now, they’ve got a steady rookie class led by Knueppel.

For a franchise like the Hornets, it’s important to instill winning habits at all time. That’s happening at Summer League.

Knueppel and company will try to bring home a championship, and then they’ll try to carry that over when the regular season rolls around.

Advertisement

MORE NBA NEWS: