![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/knueppel-iso-012126-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kon Knueppel is on pace to\u00a0become\u00a0the first rookie to join the vaunted\u00a050\/40\/90 shooters\u2019 club.<\/p>\n
Fifty-eight games. Two hundred 3-pointers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just that Kon Knueppel reached that milestone number faster than any player in NBA history. It\u2019s that he has another 20 games or so to keep rewriting the NBA rookie record book, for range and proficiency. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The Charlotte forward hit\u00a0three\u00a0of his\u00a0six\u00a0shots from deep Tuesday in the Hornets\u2019 blowout victory in Chicago,\u00a0upping his total to<\/a> 201. He\u2019s on the brink of matching and passing the Sacramento Kings\u2019 Keegan Murray, who sank 206 in 2022-23.\u00a0<\/p>\n Put another way, it took 44 years after the adoption of the 3-point shot for an NBA rookie to\u00a0break 200 (Donovan Mitchell set the previous mark of 187 in 2017-18). It took the 20-year-old sharpshooter from Milwaukee four months\u00a0as a pro\u00a0to challenge it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Knueppel\u2019s efficiency and impact on the Hornets\u2019 improved performance this season moved him to the top of this week\u2019s Kia Rookie Ladder. He flips ahead of his Duke teammate and roommate, Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg, in a rivalry in which they have shared the No. 1-2 spots almost all season. \u00a0<\/p>\n Flagg has been injured, working his way back from a sprained left foot. His impact on the Mavericks\u2019 play and their fans\u2019 mood is undeniable, and his stats compare favorably with notable rookies such as LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and others.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n But Knueppel is blazing his own path, a few makes from the field and the line from being on pace to\u00a0become\u00a0the first rookie to join the vaunted\u00a050\/40\/90 shooters\u2019 club (at least 50% on field goals, 40% on threes and 90% on free throws).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n And while Flagg can\u2019t be blamed for getting hurt, we hear NBA coaches over and over remind us that \u201cone of the best abilities is availability.\u201d The Mavs\u2019 19-year-old will be back soon, with plenty of time to vie with his friend for Kia Rookie of the Year votes. But this week belongs to Knueppel. \u00a0<\/p>\n Here is the latest edition of the Kia Rookie Ladder:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Weekly recap\u00a0<\/p>\n Are these two fellows really good friends? Well, how many of us have buddies who would drop $7,000 on a bunch of\u00a0our\u00a0trading cards<\/a>? Flagg didn\u2019t hesitate to score what\u00a0seems\u00a0like a solid speculative bet, though Knueppel sounded oblivious. \u201cHe called me and\u00a0\u2026 Like\u00a0I\u2019m not big into that stuff, so he was showing me the cards,\u201d Knueppel told the Charlotte Observer. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize cards were doing what they\u2019re doing now, so I guess I\u2019m not tapped in.\u201d Storyline to watch<\/p>\n Rookie rematch in Charlotte.\u00a0The first time Knueppel and Flagg met as rivals, they and their teams produced one of the highlight games of the season. The Hornets prevailed on Jan. 29 at Dallas\u2019 American Airlines Center, with Knueppel scoring 34 points and draining 8-for-12 3-pointers. Flagg countered with a 49-point explosion, taking 29 shots and making 20, while grabbing 10 rebounds. The teams are set to meet again on Tuesday, March 3 (7 ET, NBA League Pass<\/a>), the second and final head-to-head showdown for the ROY subplot.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0(All\u00a0stats\u00a0through\u00a0Tuesday,\u00a0Feb.\u00a024)\u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets<\/p>\n Season stats:<\/a> 19.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.5 apg Just for historical context, Knuppel \u2013 a product of his time, in the NBA style of 2025-26 \u2013 has surpassed some of the game\u2019s greatest snipers in their rookie seasons. Damian Lillard hit 185 in his debut season, Steph Curry had 166. Others: Ray Allen, 117;\u00a0Klay Thompson, 111; James Harden, 93; Reggie Miller, 61.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a>\u00a020.4\u00a0ppg, 6.6\u00a0rpg,\u00a04.1\u00a0apg\u00a0 Flagg was scratched from Tuesday\u2019s game at Brooklyn (left midfoot sprain), his fourth in a row with the injury that sidelined him at All-Star Weekend. He\u2019s been sitting on 999 total points, still second-most in his class despite his eight missed games.\u00a0No wonder the shortest month of the calendar feels so long to Mavs fans.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a> 15.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4 apg\u00a0 Edgecombe left All-Star Weekend with the Rising Stars MVP trophy after totaling 23 points and seven rebounds in two mini-games on Feb. 13.\u00a0He scored 20 in his first game back, then hit a season-high six 3-pointers\u00a0en\u00a0route to 24 points at Minnesota Sunday. And no rookie has logged more minutes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a> 12.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4 apg Queen leads the rookies in rebounds\u00a0and\u00a0assists, he\u2019s second in free throws and blocks, and he has looked comfortable as a point center for the Pelicans. Defense remains an unchecked box for now, but he\u00a0did add postgame reporter<\/a>\u00a0the other day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 5. Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a>\u00a0 10.1 ppg, 7 rpg, 1.1 apg\u00a0 In his past 10 games, all since Kings fans hollered about Raynaud\u2019s \u201csnub\u201d from Rising Stars consideration, the 7-foot-1 Frenchman has averaged 13.1 points and 9.9 rebounds, with five double-doubles. He leads his rookie class with 11 overall and is second in rebounds (357) only to the Pelicans\u2019 Derik Queen.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0The next 5<\/p>\n 6. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs\u00a0<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a>\u00a010.9\u00a0ppg, 3.3\u00a0rpg, 3.6\u00a0apg\u00a0 Harper had a five-game streak of 23+ minutes and 10+ points snapped when he\u00a018\u00a0and 5 at Detroit Monday. But he logged time against an\u00a0opponent he\u2019s been watching \u201csince 8th\u00a0grade<\/a>.\u201d (Cade Cunningham is only 24, right?)\u00a0<\/p>\n 7. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies<\/p>\n Season stats:<\/a>\u00a013.3\u00a0ppg,\u00a06.2\u00a0rpg, 2.9\u00a0apg\u00a0 There still is no timetable for Coward\u2019s return from a hyperextended right knee. The\u00a0Washingston\u00a0State product had to be replaced in the Rising Stars event at All-Star Weekend, and if he doesn\u2019t play Wednesday against Golden State or Friday against Dallas, his games-missed streak will hit seven.\u00a0<\/p>\n 8. Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a> 11.7 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.7 apg\u00a0 Bailey\u2019s rebounds and assists are\u00a0up,\u00a0part of an easy-does-it developmental process Utah has put in place for him. Coach Will Hardy told\u00a0the Salt Lake Tribune<\/a>: \u201cWe want to help him get through this season and be a way better player than when he started.\u00a0I\u2019m not pro\u00a0\u2018Ace just bombing away to get stats and clicks.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n 9. Egor D\u00ebmin, Brooklyn Nets\u00a0<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats<\/a>: 10.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.2 apg A 1-for-10 night against OKC, including 1-for-8 from the arc, dragged down\u00a0D\u00ebmin\u2019s\u00a0shooting percentage. But the emergence of teammate\u00a0Nolan\u00a0Traor\u00e9\u00a0has Nets fans envisioning the two 19-year-olds as\u00a0Brooklyn\u2019s global backcourt of the future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n T-10. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Season\u00a0stats:<\/a> 13.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.2 apg No rookie has played more games than Fears, and he ranks fourth in this class in total minutes,\u00a0points, buckets, shots, and free throws made and taken.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n T-10. Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Season stats:<\/a> 7.9 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg Murray-Boyles\u2019 streak of 16 consecutive starts ended Sunday when he came off the bench at Milwaukee. In those starts, the 20-year-old from South Carolina averaged 9.9 points, 2.8 offensive rebounds and 2.9 \u201cstocks,\u201d while shooting 60.7%.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him\u00a0here<\/a>, find\u00a0his archive here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0follow him on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t worry, Flagg\u2019s items appear to be doing quite well in the sports collectibles market, as seen here\u00a0and\u00a0<\/a>here.\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 2 \u2b06\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 1 \u2b07\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 1\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 3 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 4 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 13\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 5 \u2194\ufe0f
Draft pick:\u00a0<\/a>No. 42\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 8 \u2b06\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 6 \u2b07\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> No. 10 \u2b06\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder<\/a>: No. 7 \u2b07\ufe0f
Draft pick<\/a>: No. 8\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> Not listed \u2b06\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a> No. 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Ladder:<\/a> Not listed \u2b06\ufe0f
Draft pick:<\/a>\u00a0No. 9\u00a0<\/p>\n