Kon Knueppel Continues Solid Rookie Season in Hornets Latest Win

The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA over the past 10 games.

Charles Lee's team has the most efficient offense in the league during that stretch, as a number of the team's players seem to have found their rythym on that end of the court. While the Hornets hold a 15-26 record and still sit a few games out of the Eastern Conference's final Play-In spot, Charlotte has won four of its last seven games.

Those wins have all come by double digits, as well, taking down the Chicago Bulls 112-99, the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-97, the Utah Jazz 150-95 and, most recently, the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Thursday night, the Hornets defeated Los Angeles 135-117 despite a near 40-point performance from Luka Doncic. Charlotte was led by LaMelo Ball, who connected on nine triples en route to a 30-point outing.

Ball wasn't the only player who found success on offense against the Lakers, as Brandon Miller and Miles Brigdes combined for 51 points. While rookie wing Kon Knueppel didn't have the same scoring output as his aforementioned teammates, the No. 4 overall selection still turned in another solid game.

Knueppel finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and zero turnovers while shooting 7-of-10 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. The Charlotte standout's most recent showing was the lastest in what has been an impressive rookie year for the Duke product.

Knueppel has appeared in 40 games and made 39 starts, averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 48.4% from the field and 42.8% from beyond the arc on 8 attempts per contest.

The 20-year-old has been a pivitol piece of the Hornets' improvement throughout the season. If Knueppel, among others, continue to play well, there is a solid chance the Charlotte reaches the postseason this year.

With 15 wins, the Hornets are still five wins behind the current No. 10 seed, the Atlanta Hawks, but could surge in the second half of the season as Knueppel continues to become more comfortable.

Not only has the first-year wing turned in a solid statistical output this season, but he has also started to significantly impact winning for Charlotte.

Early in his NBA career, Knueppel has clearly been a home-run draft pick for Lee and company, who have put together an intriguing roster complimented by multiple young pieces.

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