Charlotte Hornets star Kon Knueppel was just disrespected in a major way in Rookie of the Year voting.
By now, you know that Charlotte Hornets wing Kon Knueppel finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Dallas Mavericks star — and former Duke Blue Devils teammate — Cooper Flagg.
Knueppel had a very strong argument to win the award and one can actually say that he should have come out on top, but choosing Flagg is at least understandable.
However, one voter actually had Knueppel finishing third behind Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe, which is absolutely ridiculous.
No disrespect to Edgecombe, who had a fantastic campaign in which he averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 35 minutes per game on 43.8/35.4/81.8 shooting splits. But he simply was not as effective as Knueppel.
Knueppel registered 18.5 points, 5.3 boards and 3.4 assists across 31.5 minutes a night while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor, 42.5 percent from three-point range and 86.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Yes, Edgecombe has the advantage defensively, but it's not like Knueppel is a complete slouch on that end of the court, either.
Charlotte Hornets wing Kon Knueppel drives past Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images.Knueppel boasted a true-shooting percentage of 63.2 percent while averaging .151 win shares per 48 minutes this season, truly remarkable numbers for a rookie.
There really is no reason the 20-year-old should have finished any lower than second in the voting, but there are always some oddities when it comes to these ballots.
The Hornets selected Knueppel with the fourth overall pick of the NBA Draft last summer and watched as the Milwaukee native helped lead them to a surprising 44-38 record and a play-in tournament appearance.
Charlotte just missed out on the playoffs, but it was one of the best teams in basketball during the second half of the season, and while it was certainly a collective effort, much of it can be attributed to Knueppel's brilliance.
The Hornets now have a very impressive young nucleus that includes Knueppel, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, among others. They also have some financial flexibility and a nice stash of draft capital, so they truly could become a force in the Eastern Conference in the coming years.
We'll see how Knueppel responds during his sophomore campaign.
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