Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel opened up about his early struggles as a shooter, describing how he transformed one of his biggest weaknesses into a defining strength of his game.
In an interview with Mark Medina of SportsKeeda, Knueppel said, “I used to not be able to shoot. I was a bad shooter. So in between my mid-range game, I was a playmaker. That was kind of my game. Shooting was the piece that I added on at the end.”
Knueppel, who starred at Duke last season before being selected fourth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, credited years of focused work for improving his perimeter game. He explained that his evolution came as the value of shooting in basketball rose sharply in recent years.
“Obviously, now it kind of flipped a little bit because that’s valued so much more now. That’s kind of how that came to be,” he said.
At Duke, Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and shot 40.6% from three-point range while starting all 39 games. His consistent scoring and efficiency helped him earn ACC Tournament MVP honors after leading the Blue Devils to a championship over Louisville in March.
The 6-foot-6 wing made his NBA Summer League debut this month, averaging 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists through two games for Charlotte. His shooting numbers in those contests — 33.3% from the field and 30% from deep — suggest he is still adjusting to the NBA level.
Knueppel also spoke about his relationship with Cooper Flagg, his former Duke teammate and now an opponent. “It’ll be super fun,” Knueppel said of facing Flagg in the pros. “He’s going to have a whole lot of success. I’m super happy for him. It’ll be fun.”
