Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Potential 2025 NBA Draft pick draws inspiration from five-time All-Star

By Kevin McCormick | Last updated May 15, 2025 5:21 PM ET

The 2025 NBA Draft class features a wealth of prospects expected to make a significant impact. Amid the final preparations before teams make their selections, one notable prospect opened up on his source of inspiration.

Duke wing Kon Knueppel is expected to come off the board early. Following a strong campaign with the Blue Devils, he is arguably one of this class's top three-point shooting prospects.

While at Duke, Knueppel averaged 14.4 PPG on 40.6% shooting from beyond the arc. He has continued showcasing this facet of his game at the draft combine to increase his stock.

During a recent media availability, Knueppel was asked which players he studied and tried to model his game after. One of the first names he mentioned was legendary sharpshooter Klay Thompson.

"Klay, just his consistency. His form is perfect," Knueppel said. "And then Jimmy Butler. I like watching how he plays in the lane with patience using shot fakes and pivots."

Kon Knueppel said he's studied film of Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler:

"Klay, just his consistently. His [shooting] form is perfect. And then Jimmy Butler. I like watching how he plays in the lane with patience using shot fakes and pivots."

Knueppel wants to improve shooting… pic.twitter.com/TnByydLX6p
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) May 14, 2025

Thompson, whose biggest NBA impact is his outside shooting, is a good role model for Knueppel. He could achieve similar success as the five-time All-Star as an off-ball threat who makes defenses pay with his strong shooting off motion.

Based on what he showed at Duke, Knueppel can be more than just a catch-and-shoot threat from deep. He can put the ball on the floor and create for himself in the mid-range and around the rim. This makes him an intriguing prospect as an off-guard who can provide a little secondary ballhandling and shot creation.

Cooper Flagg garnered most of the attention from this year's Duke team, but Knueppel played well enough to stand out in his own right. With wing shooting being such a premium in the modern game, he likely won't wait long to hear his name called on draft night on June 25.

Kevin McCormick

Kevin McCormick is a basketball writer for Yardbarker with years of experience in the journalism field. Based out of Philadelphia, he graduated from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management in 2019. Since then, Kevin has gone on to build a career in sports writing

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