It’s always the quiet ones who climb the ladder of success, and Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel is no exception. Selected fourth overall in the 2025 draft out of Duke, he averaged 14.4 points, 4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1 steal over 39 starts, guiding the Blue Devils to a Final Four and earning All-Region honors. His accolades definitely scream, but he doesn’t—literally. In a game dominated by trash talk, his calm presence stood out. And is that the kind of mindset that helps in the long run?

Hornets head coach Charles Lee sees room for growth, particularly in how vocal Kon is on the court. “We need to get him talking a little bit more. He’s a quiet kid, but as the opposing player runs into pick-and-rolls, I need him yelling out the commands to make sure that the guy on the ball can also understand what we’re going to do coverage-wise and we can be on the same page…” 

Despite the flaw, Knueppel made his presence felt in the preseason opener against the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, posting a team-high 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-10 from deep in 23 minutes. Even with Kon showing up for Charlotte, the Hornets couldn’t match the Thunder’s firepower, falling 135-114. OKC came out swinging, hitting eight of their first 11 shots and cruising to a 70-57 lead by halftime.

Even in the loss, Lee was quietly impressed with Kon’s game. “His overall competitiveness and IQ for understanding where to be. I saw some grit, some fight defensively, trying to guard closeouts and using his physicality, which I was really impressed with.” 

As one of the starting five, Kon has the chance to refine both his game and his leadership voice, and Hornets fans will be watching closely to see him step up. Lee concluded on a positive note: “We’re gonna continue to see a lot of growth from that young man as the season continues to go.”

Looking at his past performance, it’s easy to see why there’s high hope for Kon Knueppel. He had seven 20-point games and became just the 15th freshman in NCAA history with at least 550 points, 100 assists, and 80 three-pointers in a single season. 

Knueppel earned All-ACC, ACC All-Freshman, All-ACC Tournament honors, and was named ACC Tournament MVP as Duke won both the regular season and tournament titles. In high school at Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee, he was Wisconsin Mr. Basketball and led the Vikings to a perfect 30-0 season and a state championship in 2024. 

Kon Knueppel: Finding his voice in Charlotte

As I asked initially, will being quiet on the court help in the long run? Well, the answer was seen in the game itself. Kon himself admitted the mistake of not communicating well, which ended up costing them. He said in the postgame press conference, “Yeah, he got honest. I mean obviously, I think Ryan didn’t come over and help and come block a shot and then me and Liam messed up a switch and that stuff can’t happen because we weren’t talking, so gotta be able to communicate and then if we make a mistake communicating really really well and really loudly, then that’s a different thing, but making mistake by not communicating can’t happen.”

The Hornets’ starting five featured LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate. From the tip, defense was shaky; miscommunications and off-ball mistakes gave even OKC’s bench players confidence early. On the bright side, Charlotte’s offense looked promising to start.

There were a few hiccups as teammates who had never played together in the NBA tried to sync up.“It was good to get out there and get some reps with the guys,” Kon said, and it seems these mishaps won’t be a recurring problem now that everyone’s had a chance to get on the same page. 

The Hornets clearly believe in Kon Knueppel’s talent. Coach Lee described him as having an ‘undeniable winning mentality.’ But we do remember that the rookie had a rough start in Charlotte’s first Summer League game. Playing 30 minutes, Knueppel struggled to find his rhythm, finishing with just five points and four assists on 1-of-8 shooting. 

Despite the setbacks, Knueppel’s competitive fire was evident. Lee noted that while the team was managing his minutes carefully, the rookie was visibly frustrated at being sidelined. A sign of how badly he wants to prove himself, and fans can expect much more from Kon as he continues to adjust and show what he can do on the court.