NBA insider crowns Kon Knueppel as a Summer League standout

After a dreary first game, Summer League was kind to Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel. The former Duke standout took a game to rest his ankle and came back with vengeance, showcasing why he was the fourth overall pick and leading Charlotte to its first-ever Summer League title.

Knueppel was far from the only good player the Hornets had, but he was good enough to get noticed by The Athletic's Jon Hollinger. He praised Knueppel, calling him one of the standouts of the summer alongside players like Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe.

"Knueppel started his summer with a 1-for-8 stinker against the Utah Jazz but built up from there, leading the Hornets to the summer crown with a 21-point effort in the title game," Hollinger said. "What stood out about Knueppel was nearly half his shots were 2s; he doesn’t need to play as a perimeter specialist. He also sprinkled in 19 assists in his five games, showing nice functionality as a secondary creator."

Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, and KJ Simpson helped guide Charlotte to an undefeated run and a title, but Knueppel's performance is maybe the most inspiring. Everyone knew he was a knockdown shooter, but the questions were about what else he could do and whether or not he'd struggle without a LaMelo Ball to set him up for open shots.

He didn't, and he showcased layers to his game that should give Hornets fans a bit of excitement. He's not just a one-dimensional three-point shooter after all, and he was good enough to stand out amid a ton of great players at Summer League.

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