Kon Knueppel is already helping the Charlotte Hornets win big games.
The former Duke Blue Devil led the Hornets to an NBA Summer League title with an 83-78 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. They went 5-0 in Las Vegas to win their first Summer League title.
He was named the MVP of the game after scoring 21 points and grabbing five rebounds. Knueppel, No. 4 pick in last month’s draft, shot 8-of-21 from the field and 4-of-11 from 3-point range in the comeback victory.
He capped off the victory in the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer with 31.1 seconds to play to give them a four-point lead that they never let go. It was an excellent way to end a successful Summer League stint for Knueppel.
He played in five games for the Hornets, averaging 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 27.7 minutes of action. He wasn’t as efficient as he’d like to be, making 40.6% of his shots from the floor and 34.3% of his shots from beyond the arc. There will be time for that to come, as he showed the shot-making and traits that caused Charlotte to take him so early in the draft.
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