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Jason Logan<\/a> 21+ years betting experience<\/p>\n \n Updated: \u2022 4 min read<\/p>\n Rookie Kon Knueppel was awful in his postseason debut but will find other ways to help the Charlotte Hornets when they visit the Orlando Magic in the Play-In finale. Jason Logan is betting on Knueppel’s passing prowess against a low assist total.<\/p>\n Photo By – Reuters Connect. Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) passes the ball to forward Brandon Miller (24) during the second half.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re saddling up at the urinal, putting on a one-man show, or making your NBA postseason debut, stage fright can get the best of us.<\/p>\n Just ask Charlotte Hornets rookie sensation Kon Knueppel, who suddenly forgot how to shoot in Tuesday\u2019s Play-In Tournament win after a record-setting first season in the pros.<\/p>\n Knueppel came out ice cold from beyond the arc and couldn\u2019t find his way in the offense, eventually getting the hook late in the game.<\/p>\n Our Hornets vs. Magic predictions won\u2019t discount the Duke product too much in Friday\u2019s Play-In finale but my NBA picks<\/a> take a different way to wager on Knueppel\u2019s contributions.<\/p>\n Hornets vs Magic prediction<\/p>\n Hornets vs Magic best bet: Kon Knueppel Over 2.5 Assists (-115)<\/p>\n The Charlotte Hornets<\/a>\u2019 star rookie had a rotten postseason debut, finishing 2-for-12 from the field, including a goose egg on six attempts beyond the arc.\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s more disappointing is that Kon Knueppel<\/a> couldn\u2019t find other ways to contribute and found himself on the bench in crunch time. He logged just six minutes in the fourth quarter \u2014 and an extra frame \u2014 on Tuesday.<\/p>\n While all eyes go to his chilly shooting performance, Knueppel also recorded just one assist in the OT win over the Miami Heat and generated only two potential assists over his 34 minutes.<\/p>\n On the season, Knueppel has averaged almost 3.5 assists on 6.3 potential dimes per game. Before the Play-In, he had dished out three or more assists in four of the final five games of the schedule, including two five-dime showings.<\/p>\n The Hornets need more from Knueppel than long-range chucks if they\u2019re going to punch their ticket to the playoffs Friday. In the two most recent matchups with the Orlando Magic<\/a>, Knueppel dished out four assists in each outing \u2013 both one-sided wins for Charlotte.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the Magic boasting one of the tighter perimeter defenses (33.8% – third lowest since the break) and the fourth lowest 3-point attempts against, Knueppel will find himself making the extra pass rather than letting it fly from deep.<\/p>\n His player projections for Friday\u2019s win-and-in contest sit north of three assists, and this total of 2.5 O\/U is just the fourth time in the past 11 games that his assist prop has been this low.<\/p>\n Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account The Hornets are on the road but have the rest and prep edge due to the East Play-In schedule getting flipped in Philadelphia. Charlotte showed an ability to adapt to off-games from its stars and never stopped fighting in the win over Miami.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Senior Betting Analyst<\/p>\n
\nApr 16, 2026 , 10:08 PM ET<\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776421132_668_google-preferred-source-badge.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/a>Hornets vs Magic same-game parlay<\/p>\n