LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 20: Kon Knueppel was named the Summer League championship game MVP as … More
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Kon Knueppel was a Summer League standout. The Charlotte Hornets made him the fourth overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The former Duke Blue Devil immediately showcased why the franchise should feel great about that decision.
Knueppel helped lead the Hornets to a championship in Las Vegas. In the process, he earned a spot on the All-Summer League Second Team. The six-foot-seven forward averaged 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals.
While Sin City statistics are the least important part of what a player demonstrates at Summer League, those numbers reflect Knueppel’s all-around impact.
However, even on the heels of a championship, he was hard on himself while giving Forbes his assessment of how his game grew in Las Vegas.
“First game was rough, didn’t play well,” conveyed Knueppel. “But it’s the NBA now, you have so many games, and I think [having] the next game, forget about what happened last game [mentality]. Even tonight, I didn’t play very well. I didn’t shoot it great at all, really, I had some bad turnovers, bad defensive plays, just next play, next play.”
That attitude will endear him to his new teammates, coaching staff, and people throughout the Hornets’ organization. It captured an individual who has no interest in becoming content or complacent. Instead, a growth mindset fuels his drive to maximize his potential.
The Hornets’s message to Kon Knueppel
Another sign of Knueppel’s competitive character came in Charlotte’s 109-80 Semifinal win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He dove to the floor in pursuit of a loose ball. As he got a hand on it, the Wisconsin native crashed into Thunder guard Jazian Gortman’s legs. That resulted in the latter inadvertently driving Knueppel’s head into the hardwood.
That resulted in five stitches to treat the cut above his eye. However, there was no way he was going to miss the Summer League Finals.
“We had to fight a lot of people to get me on the floor today,” voiced Knueppel after the Hornets captured the organization’s first championship of any kind. “It wasn’t necessarily from within the organization. It was a no-brainer for me. I just wanted to get out there and help the guys and get this done.”
While on the ESPN broadcast of Charlotte’s title win, an 83-78 victory vs. the Sacramento Kings, head coach Charles Lee said of the situation, “My man’s out here playing right now with stitches on the side of his eye, like come on. Just a warrior out there, which I absolutely love about him. And there was no way we were going to be able to keep him out of this game today.”
Knueppel’s bench boss also spoke enthusiastically about the well-rounded nature of what Knueppel showcased in Las Vegas.
“Always just trying to impact winning,” said Lee. “I think that everyone sees what he can bring with the shooting, but I think he’s an overall, really just solid competitor. Defensively, he’s made a couple [of] great stops, I think so far here, and he communicates at a really high level.
“And then, on top of shooting the ball, he’s made the right pass play when he needs to. Defense collapse, he’s throwing lobs, if he has to play off of two feet, he has some great footwork after the dribble as well.”
Knueppel told Forbes he appreciated his head coach returning to support their pursuit of a Summer League championship. He also shared the messaging he has received from Lee and the Hornets’ coaching staff.
“Charles came back tonight to watch us, which was pretty cool,” said Knueppel. “They’re watching for the right basketball plays, making the right reads; it’s not necessarily about statistics or anything. But making the right plays, both sides of the floor, being in good positioning, those are the things that are important.”
To the delight of Lee and Charlotte’s coaching staff, Knueppel displayed a good feel for the game and a high competitive character that fits perfectly with the culture they’re working to establish in the Queen City. While he did so, he demonstrated the dynamic nature of his play, something that deserves more recognition than it receives.
What the Hornets saw from Kon Knueppel at Summer League wasn’t a revelation to them; it was the reinforcement of why they drafted him. It was the first step in validating that he will become a core member of their build toward a brighter future.
