At each stop in his basketball career, Kon Knueppel has shattered expectations.<\/p>\n
From preps play, to a singular season with Duke and now the NBA, Knueppel\u2019s proven time and again he doesn\u2019t have the ceiling others put on him.<\/p>\n
Coming out of high school, he was ranked as the No. 14 prospect per RSCI <\/a>\u2014 a respectable one, though it didn\u2019t prepare many for just how immediately good he\u2019d be at the collegiate level.<\/p>\n Alongside Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach, he helped the Blue Devils to one of their best seasons in years, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists en route to a Final Four appearance.\u00a0<\/p>\n When Flagg missed late-season games, Knueppel stepped in with star-esque scoring to keep Duke afloat. And the combination of statistical production and winning impact led to him becoming the No. 4 pick at the 2025 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n While a top-four pick in any capacity is certainly nothing to scoff at, many believed Knueppel would simply fill a role with the Hornets, stepping in between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller with his 3-point shooting, connective passing and better-than-expected defense.<\/p>\n But, just a handful of games into his NBA career, he\u2019s now quite easily the front runner for the league\u2019s Rookie of the Year Award.<\/p>\n Through 15 games, Knueppel is averaging 18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists, scoring on 47% shooting overall and 40% shooting from beyond the arc. He\u2019s become the fastest player in NBA history to reach 50 career 3-pointers, doing so on over eight attempts per game.<\/p>\n Kon Knueppel 28 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST, 11\/20 FG, 5\/12 3FG, 68.5% TS vs Pacers https:\/\/t.co\/wOYcoh2BSg<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/JgF79f2lLF<\/a><\/p>\n