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Hornets' Kon Knueppel draws superstar comparison as historic season continues

Do we even know what Kon's ceiling is?
Colin Keane|
Nov 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) shoots over Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) shoots over Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel continued his blistering season on Sunday, hitting 7-of-11 threes and dropping 28 points in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Knueppel also tallied six rebounds and three assists.

The No. 4 overall pick is now averaging 19.4 points per game this season on an otherworldly 43.8 percent from three to go along with 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

Kon has connected on 63 three-pointers in his first 17 NBA games, which is a league record by a significant margin.

Over his last 15 games, Knueppel is averaging 20.3 points on 59.0/42.5/92.1 shooting splits, making him the youngest player in NBA history to average 20 points on 55/ 40/ 90 over a 15-game span.

Knueppel has the third-most games this season in the entire NBA with 20+ points and 5+ made threes. The two players above him on that list are Stephen Curry and James Harden.

Kon is playing like a fringe All-Star, and at 20 years old, he's forcing fans and analysts to re-think his ceiling.

Yahoo's Kevin O'Connor and Tom Haberstroh did just that during a new episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show.

Top NBA analysts compare Hornets' Kon Knueppel to Devin Booker

O'Connor and Haberstroh initially landed on Klay Thompson as a comp for Knueppel, but quickly realized that Knueppel is more advanced than Klay was at 20 years old, particularly off the dribble.

That's when Haberstroh ventured into Devin Booker territory for Knueppel.

"Talk about pure scores ... who are big guards ... who can manage a pick-and-roll ... is Devin Booker a ceiling for Kon Knueppel?" Haberstroh said. "A big guard who can just shoot with the best of them and operate as a ball handler and get in the mid-range."

Booker, like Knueppel, entered the NBA after one year in college. His rookie stats in 76 games were 13.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.5 rebounds on 34.3 percent from three. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.

Knueppel's numbers are sure to be better than that, even once they dip from their current levels between now and the end of the season. He's also the front-runner for ROTY with the season 20 percent complete, for whatever that's worth.

People who scoff at a Booker comparison for Knueppel might want to re-think their stance.

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Colin Keane
COLIN KEANE

Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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