Rising star Kon Knueppel targets team-wide physicality and weight room gains as the essential keys to transforming the Charlotte Hornet's promising young core into a legitimate Eastern Conference powerhouse.
The Charlotte Hornets are trending in the right direction after making an appearance in the Play-In Tournament this spring.
The Hornets missed the playoffs after losing to the Orlando Magic, but the young team should feel good about their prospects for the future as their impressive rookie class overachieved in 2025-26.
Kon Knueppel will be become a feature of the offense. He led the NBA in three-point shots made and finished as a runner up to Cooper Flagg in the NBA Rookie of The Year vote.
Still, the Hornets have much work to do before they're ready to win a championship. Charlotte needs to earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference before even thinking about trying to chase Western Conference giant like the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs.
When speaking on "Dale Jr Download" recently, Knueppel said the Hornets needed to become stronger physically if they wanted to take the next step.
"Our physicality and toughness have to come to the next level," Knueppel said.
"Hopefully the guys we pick can contribute early, that'd be awesome, but the weight room right now is really important for us... adding more mass collectively as a team, that'll be really beneficial."
Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson thinks his young roster will develop into a winner because they're not afraid of hard work.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of our rookies,” Peterson said. “All four of them contributed this year at some point. Of course, they all have different skillsets, strengths, paths, things like that.
"First and foremost, just who they are as humans, their approach. They’re professional, show up every day wanting to work, wanting to learn, wanting to be coached. They’re self-motivated, so I have no doubt in my mind that they will continue to get better.”
The Hornets need to become more physical for the postseason, when defenses tighten up. Charlotte will look to add a center in the upcoming draft with the No. 14 or No. 18 pick.
If they hit on a center in the draft, the Hornets could be a threat in the East for a long time.
