Eric Collins Says Those Debating Knueppel vs. Flagg Are 'Missing the Whole Point'

The Charlotte Hornets are playing some fun basketball and, for the first time in years, are competitive and have an actual core to build into the future with. Rookie sharpshooter Kon Knueppel has a lot to do with that.

In his first 64 games, Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 48% from the floor, 43% from three-point range, and 87% from the free throw line. In addition to flirting with the coveted 50/40/90 shooting splits, Knueppel not only broke the rookie record for made threes, but leads the entire NBA in triples with 224. Tyrese Maxey is the closest to him with 202. There's only one way to describe it — phenomenal.

Because of the surprisingly elite production he has posted, he has put himself firmly in the mix to win the league's Rookie of the Year award, battling his former Duke teammate, Cooper Flagg. It's been a heated debate on social media and TV over the past couple of months, and understandably so, as both players are deserving. Hornets play-by-play man Eric Collins looks at it through a different lens.

🎙️ Eric Collins: "For people who are debating Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, you're missing the whole point. You gotta fall in love with Kon Knueppel just because he is so uniquely gifted and it's gonna be good for so long."

"The guy is fantastic. He is a real player. He… pic.twitter.com/4dZOEOf7pl
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) March 10, 2026

"The guy is fantastic. He is a real player. He understands where to be on the floor. He elevates the level of everyone he's playing with just because, literally, he gets so much attention no matter where he is because he is a knockdown shooter. I'm from Cleveland, Ohio… I never thought I'd see a better shooter with better form than Mark Price, but this guy is. And just because he's bigger and stronger, and he can shoot from farther distances because of that size. For people who are debating Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, you're missing the whole point. You gotta fall in love with Kon Knueppel just because he is so uniquely gifted and it's gonna be good for so long."

He's got a point. I think we're all guilty of wanting to voice our opinions loudly in saying which player is better, and it goes way beyond the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year debate. It's Michael Jordan vs. LeBron. It's Laker vs. Celtics. etc. In that grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. It's just the Rookie of the Year award, and that pales in comparison to the fact that the Charlotte Hornets will move into the future knowing it has one of the best offensive players in the game.