Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee doesn't believe Kon Knueppel is a "one-trick pony."
Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel leads the NBA in 3-pointers this season as a rookie. That's how deadly a shooter he is.
Everyone knows Knueppel is a special shooter, but Hornets head coach Charles Lee emphasized on Tuesday that the Duke product is not a "one-trick pony."
"There is no ceiling for Kon," Lee said, via the Charlotte Observer. "As hard as he works, he's going to be able to accomplish whatever he wants to do because he is just so focused on getting better individually and helping his team any way he possibly can. The competitive spirit, the care factor is just so high that there is no ceiling.
"In terms of his shooting and just his practice, he's got great habits. I think there is consistency to his habits. As a shooter, he's got a great base to him and the thing that's most impressive is the variety of shots that he can hit. It's catch-and-shoot, it's off the dribble … The fact that he can do it so many ways is what makes him elite, too. He's not a one-trick pony."
Knueppel could win the Rookie of the Year Award. He's averaging 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 47.8% from the field, 42.9% from beyond the arc and 86.2% from the free-throw line.
Thanks to Knueppel, the Hornets turned their season around after the All-Star break. They will have a winning season in Year 2 of the Lee era.
As of this writing, the Hornets are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. If Charlotte finishes seventh, eighth, ninth or 10th, the team will be in the NBA play-in tournament.
As the seventh or eighth seed, the Hornets would have to win one play-in game to make the playoffs. They would have two chances.
As the ninth or 10th seed, Charlotte would have to win two games to make the playoffs. If they lose the first game, the season is over.
To automatically qualify for the playoffs, the Hornets have to be the sixth seed or better. Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs since 2016.
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