A perfect marriage: How Kon Knueppel's individual brilliance is accentuated by Charlotte's scheme and talent

Kon Knueppel was billed as an elite shooter when the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the fourth overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. 

Through three games, Knueppel is living up to that billing. Kon has knocked down 11 of his 19 three-point attempts so far, hitting at a blistering 58% clip. In Charlotte’s last two games, Knueppel has feasted on both self-created looks, and looks schemed up by his coaching staff. Let’s take a look at three shots that exemplify the greatness of Kon as a jump shooter and how, in concert with LaMelo Ball's otherworldly talent, Charles Lee can weaponize it. 

Clip #1: Knueppel and Miles Bridges run a two-man game

Charlotte comes down the floor and gets into one of their favorite early-offense looks, a pistol action between Miles Bridges and Knueppel. 

Traditionally, Kon would flow into a ball screen from Plumlee, which Tyrese Maxey knows, so he overcommits to the top side. Kon does a beautiful job reading Maxey’s leverage and the depth that Justin Edwards is playing (going forward I’ll expect defenses to be glued to Kon on these actions) before he steps back and rises up for a highlight three. 

This is a beautiful mix of IQ and individual space creation skill to put a three-pointer on the board.  If anybody was worried about Kon getting his shots up against NBA defenses, fear not.

Clip #2: Knueppel flows into space

Charlotte races up the floor after a make and Philadelphia’s defense is out of sorts. The Sixers show a soft full-court pressure as Maxey and VJ Edgecombe end up double-teaming Sion James once the Hornets cross half court. Maxey sticks to James, leaving Edgecombe to search for Knueppel.

Kon knows that he’s uncovered due to Philly sending two to the ball, so he slips to the play-side corner away from where Edgecombe is looking for him, widening the gap that VJ has to close. 

Before VJ can get to Knueppel, Andre Drummond switches out, and Kon takes him to task. The pump fake and step back over the seven-footer is as clean as you’d like. Some impeccable footwork from the rookie who showed true shades of the game's all-time great shooters (Klay Thompson? Ray Allen? Am I crazy?) on this specific play. 

Those two shots are sublime examples of what Knueppel can do as a shooter. He's able to create space in a phone booth with slick fakes and tidy footwork that leave opponents guessing. Kon has already shown some skill as a driver, and as he continues to expand his game going to the cup, these three-point shots will become even harder to stop.

Clip #3: Charlotte's favorite action (with a new wrinkle)

My favorite of the bunch. 

LaMelo Ball brings the ball up after a made free throw against heavy ball pressure from Bub Carrington.

Charlotte gets into their ‘Horns’ alignment (guard at the top, two players at the elbows, two players in each corner), and Ryan Kalkbrenner sets a ‘Ram’ screen (off-ball screen for a player who then sets another screen for a ball handler). 

This flows into one of Charlotte’s favorite actions - a double drag or ‘77’ - that doesn’t normally start with the ‘Ram’ screen, so this is an added wrinkle, creating another layer for a defense to peel through.

This is also set up by the brilliance of LaMelo Ball. Kon had made a three on Charlotte’s last possession, but LaMelo was the only Hornet who was having a good shooting night, creating a conundrum for Washington’s defense. Should they stay with LaMelo, who was red hot? Or stay with Kon, a 60% three-point shooter who had just made a three on the previous trip down the floor? 

The ‘77’ action put immense stress on Washington’s coverage here, and because they chose to double-team LaMelo, he made the correct decision to whip a one-handed jump pass directly into Kon’s shooting pocket for an easy three-point jumper. 

Charlotte’s offense is humming. According to Cleaning the Glass, their 125.6 offensive rating leads the league, and it’s because of plays like these. Individual brilliance marrying schematic design that leaves defenses with too many questions to answer on one possession. 

Kon Knueppel has already proven to be an ideal back court mate for LaMelo Ball (who is playing at an All-NBA level, mind you), and we're only three games into the budding partnership. With Charles Lee at the helm and a host of talented hoopers around them, the sky is the limit for Ball and Knueppel.

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