Hornets made the right call: Kon Knueppel over Ace Bailey was the correct pick

The Charlotte Hornets ended up with the fourth pick in the NBA draft, which meant they couldn't take either Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper. There was discussion about Ace Bailey, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson, and others at fourth overall, but the Hornets ended up going with Knueppel.

This was a bit controversial at the time. Knueppel was a good prospect, but the high-floor, low-ceiling nature of a player like him meant that Charlotte was kind of playing it safe when the deep draft class and the lack of high-end talent implied that a bigger swing was necessary.

Many thought the uber-talented Bailey should've been the pick. But at least through the first couple of weeks of regular-season basketball, it looks like the Hornets nailed it, and that leaving Bailey to continue his slide was a smart call, too.

On a head-to-head basis, Knueppel clears Bailey by a wide margin. The Jazz forward's offensive rating is 101.9, while Knueppel comes in at 113.8, a very strong mark. On defense, Knueppel has a major advantage as well. His defensive rating is a solid 112.5, fifth-best in Charlotte. Bailey has an abysmal 128.2 defensive rating.

Bailey's 2.2 player impact estimate is pretty low, and Knueppel ranks seventh on the Hornets with a 9.0 there. In pretty much all the meaningful stats, Knueppel is outdoing Bailey. Of course, Bailey was seen as a longer-term player with a higher ceiling which could still come to fruition, but Knueppel has lapped his draft mate so far.

Nov 2, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) on defense against Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (8) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

What's more, Knueppel is a perfect fit in Charlotte, and Bailey would not be. Would Bailey's 35% true shooting mark open things up and space the floor for LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and others? Certainly not, and Knueppel's 60.9% mark is highly impressive.

While not all that high, Knueppel is an on-court positive with a 1.3 net rating, and Bailey is actually hampering his team to the tune of -26.3. He's been downright bad, and Knueppel has been one of the best rookies in the NBA. So far, Lee looks brilliant for sticking to his plan.

In general, Knueppel ranks among the leaders in NBA rookies. If the season were to end today, the Rookie of the Year would probably be VJ Edgecombe, whom the Hornets did not have the chance to draft. Still, even if they did, it is very possible Jeff Peterson would've still gone with Knueppel, and he wouldn't have necessarily been wrong to do so.

There are also some intangibles that help set Knueppel apart. He cares, and he puts in effort, especially on defense. He is a highly intelligent player, too, as he often knows exactly where to be, and his playmaking has been solid as a result despite that not being a pre-draft strength. Knueppel was a home run pick, and while Bailey still could be, the Hornets finally did something right.

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