Hornets' Kon Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner land on brand new top 10 NBA rookie list

The Charlotte Hornets’ season has been a mixed bag through eight games. Charlotte has a 3-5 record entering Friday, and early injuries to Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball are toying with fans’ worst fears about the durability of those two.

On the other hand, Charlotte’s rookie class has been the obvious highlight of the young season. While Liam McNeeley’s contributions have been minimal so far (there’s no rush in that regard), the Hornets’ other three rookies have been immediately impactful.

Kon Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Sion James are all playing important rotational roles for Charles Lee early on. On Thursday, Knueppel and Kalkbrenner both made it into a top 10 rookie list published by Yahoo Sports’ respected NBA analyst Steve Jones.

Jones had Knueppel at No. 5 and Kalkbrenner at No. 9. Here’s what Jones had to say about each player.

Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner make top 10 rookie list

Jones acknowledged the obvious when it comes to Knueppel — his shooting — before delving into the little things that make Kon special.

“Knueppel has made more 3s than any other rookie in the class, but it does not stop there,” Jones wrote. “The Hornets wing has recorded the most made 3s (22) of any player in NBA history over his first seven career games and was the first player in NBA history with three or more made 3s in each of his first four games.”

Kon Knueppel Joins Melo and MKG as the only Hornets with a 20/10 game before turning 21 years old and becomes the fastest player in NBA history to reach 25 career three-pointers. pic.twitter.com/xsFn4fFMW1
— 495 (@495NBA) November 5, 2025

“It’s easy to say Knueppel does a little bit of everything, but when you watch him it’s the little things that stand out,” Jones continued. “When he’s spaced on the perimeter, he always does a great job of sliding into an open spot to receive a pass. When he’s a screener, he does a great job of running into screens to get his defender on the move, getting good positioning to get a quick touch and slipping out before the defense can switch. He's not afraid to turn the corner if he sees space, but if he sees nothing he'll keep things moving.”

When it came to Kalkbrenner, Jones lauded the former Creighton big man’s natural shot-blocking instincts and complementary play on offense for Charlotte.

“Second in the NBA in blocks at 2.4 per game, Kalkbrenner defends the paint for the Hornets like he’s on the Night’s Watch,” Jones wrote. “Height helps with blocks, but when you have a true feel for timing, it pops on film. The big man consistently has shown very good timing on his rotations to protect the paint; what looks like an open lane to the offense can change very quickly. And it’s not just the size and the timing; it’s also the verticality of his challenges.”

There are 29 “bigs” in the NBA that have played at least 200 minutes.

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s ranks:
2nd in block percentage (4.3%)
5th in foul rate (2.5%)

A masterclass in protecting the rim without giving up cheap points at the line. pic.twitter.com/KsbtPUUvHl
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) November 7, 2025

“When he plays in a drop on defense in pick-and-roll and the offense thinks it has a speed advantage, he works to slide back, contain the drive and put himself in position to contest,” Jones continued. “If you think you have a pocket pass to your big who is rolling, he works to recover and contest. On offense, he provides rim runs in transition and operates in the dunker spot to profit off a drive.”

In case you were wondering, Jones’s four selections in front of Knueppel (in order) were VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers) at No. 1, followed by Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies), Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks), and Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs).

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