Hornets' Kon Knueppel more impressive than Cooper Flagg to this NBA veteran

It would be difficult to overstate how impressive Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel has been through the first 15 games of his NBA career.

To put it plainly, the 20-year-old Knueppel has been Charlotte’s best player this season (as well as the NBA’s best rookie), and if you want to be ultra-pessimistic about the Hornets, you could say that Knueppel has been the only guy maintaining fan interest in the 4-11 club (Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball have missed a ton of games already).

Ultimately, the best barometer for an NBA player’s impact is what other NBA players say about him. It’s one thing to watch these guys on TV — or even in person — but it’s a whole different experience to compete against them.

That’s why it speaks volumes that Knueppel has already garnered praise from plenty of his NBA peers, including one NBA veteran who even said that Knueppel has been the most impressive rookie he’s played against this season.

Bucks big man Bobby Portis calls Kon Knueppel the most impressive rookie in the NBA

Bobby Portis says Kon Knueppel is the most impressive rookie he's faced 💐

"You probably wouldn't even think he hoops if you didn't know he plays for the Hornets. Then, when he gets on the court, he wows you."@BPortistime | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/XLFis8C5je
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 19, 2025

Appearing as a guest on FanDuel TV's Run It Back program, Milwaukee Bucks power forward Bobby Portis Jr. said that Knueppel is the most impressive rookie he's faced this season, and he's played against other talented rookies like Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe.

"It's kinda easy to always say Cooper Flagg, right, but in my opinion ... (it's) Kon Knueppel ... he wows you on the court. ... You probably wouldn't even think he that he (plays basketball) if you didn't know that he plays for the Hornets."

Portis also said that he's impressed with Knueppel's ability to get into the paint, his passing ability, and his constant effort to sprint back out to the three-point line and make himself available, whereas most players would be standing around and watching after a drive-and-kick.

Portis has experienced a healthy dose of Knueppel already this season, as the Bucks have played the Hornets twice, with the games being split between the two squads. In the second game, Knueppel dropped a career-high 32 points on the Bucks' court in his hometown of Milwaukee.

Knueppel was back to his stat sheet-stuffing ways on Wednesday night. Despite a disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers, Knueppel led the Hornets with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 5-of-12 shooting from three. He's now averaging 18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this year.

With all due respect to guys like Flagg and Edgecombe, Portis might be completely on point when it comes to shouting out the most impactful rookie in the league right now.

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