There's a way the Charlotte Hornets can help Kon Knueppel win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Award.
One NBA analyst wants the Charlotte Hornets to help Kon Knueppel win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Award.
In a column called "New Goals for Every NBA Team Down the Stretch," Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report outlined how the Hornets can help Knueppel win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Award over Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg.
"Along with chasing a top-6 seed in the East, the Charlotte Hornets need to turn up the heat on the Kon Knueppel Rookie of the Year campaign," Swartz wrote. "Either he or former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg are going to win the award, and both are certainly worthy candidates. Flagg has the advantage of being his team's primary offensive option, however, while Knueppel ranks just third in field-goal attempts per game since the All-Star break behind LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
"With averages of 20.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 45.7 percent shooting from three, Knueppel has proved he can handle a larger offensive load. Especially after trading for Coby White, the Hornets should do everything in their power to make sure that Knueppel is getting plenty of shots and securing that ROY trophy."
Knueppel is putting up stellar numbers for the Hornets this season. The Duke product is averaging 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 48.8% from the field, 43.4% from beyond the arc and 87.0% from the free-throw line.
A Milwaukee native, Knueppel leads the NBA in 3-pointers with 243.
Knueppel was named Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for February. The sharpshooter claimed the award for the fourth-straight month to begin his career, becoming the first player in Hornets history to win Rookie of the Month four times and the first NBA player to do so since Orlando Magic swingman Paolo Banchero in 2022-23.
Knueppel has been incredible on the offensive end for the Hornets, but Charlotte head coach Charles Lee has been impressed with Knueppel's defensive play as well.
"Defensively, you really see his basketball intelligence," Lee said, via The Athletic. "He understands player tendencies really well. He's really able to understand how to close out: What are the angles I even need to take to close out on somebody? If I'm shifting on somebody, at what level or depth do I need to be at? If a guy is a lesser shooter. He's a little bit flatter in his shifts; if the guy's a better shooter, he's higher in his shift to not allow a direct pass to that guy."
The Hornets are 37-34 on the season. They are in 10th place in the East.
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