It's still too early in the season, but the Charlotte Hornets may have already hit rock bottom after losing to the Indiana Pacers, who had the lowest record entering the Monday matchup and were missing a handful of players. With things going south fast, the Hornets should now start building their offense around Kon Knueppel and see how it goes.
The Rookie of the Year pacesetter showed on Monday how ready he is to take over for the team when it needs him most.
With Charlotte entering the fourth quarter down 104-84 and LaMelo Ball extending his shooting slump and not looking like himself, it seemed another blowout loss was unavoidable.
However, a mini-rally late in the game allowed the Hornets to trim the lead to seven points twice. Unfortunately, they couldn't complete the comeback, falling 127-118. Still, Knueppel deserves a lot of credit for helping spur their run in the fourth. He put up eight points in the period, joining forces with Pat Connaughton and Miles Bridges to score 28 of the squad's 34 points. The trio even outscored the Pacers by five in the final 12 minutes.
Kon Knueppel is turning into a star in front of our very eyes
For a team that has struggled for many years now, it's tough to view any loss as a moral victory. Nearly suffering a one-sided loss to one of the league's worst squads is hardly the best place to look for a silver lining. But Knueppel has easily changed that, as he has been an exceptionally bright spot for the Hornets this campaign.
Against the Pacers, he finished with game-highs 28 points and five 3-pointers while also chipping in eight rebounds (four from the offensive end) and seven assists.
Given Charlotte's stumble in the standings, it's easy to overlook that Knueppel's season averages of 18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.3 3-pointers per contest are steadily increasing. His shooting splits of 47-40-89 are also worth noting, especially since he has already caught the attention of opposing defenses.
Those are not superstar numbers — yet — but the potential he has shown to be a reliable main option is no longer just a promise. It has already been realized, and he is only getting better.
The Hornets must have noticed it by now and should already be adjusting their offense to feature more of the former Duke University standout. That's not to say that they should take the ball out of Ball's hand. However, Hornets coach Charles Lee and his staff should start devising more sets to give Knueppel cleaner looks at the basket. That also means fewer possessions of Bridges, Tre Mann, and Collin Sexton playing hero-ball, which many fans would undoubtedly be enthused about.