Despite having just 43 games under his belt, Kon Knueppel has proven to be one of the best marksmen in the league. Naturally, though, he is still prone to some shooting struggles, such as hitting just 20 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes over a five-game run. However, the Charlotte Hornets rookie appears to have already overcome it.
The concerning trend was brought up by Owen O’Connor of Sports Illustrated, and the tweet came before the Hornets’ matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
It wasn’t all bad for Knueppel, as he still managed to sink 35.7 percent of his 3-point attempts during that stretch. On the other hand, considering his gravity and the fact that he plays with other shot-creators in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, it bodes much better for Charlotte if he can nail his catch-and-shoot threes more efficiently.
The good news is that Knueppel has actually been a high-level shooter off the catch this season. For the year, he has hit 41.6 percent of his attempts in those situations. In addition, if his performances in their back-to-back with the Warriors and Denver Nuggets are any indication, the mini-slump is a thing of the past.
Turning things around
The Hornets’ defense against Golden State was hard to watch, as they succumbed to a 136-116 beatdown on the road. Knueppel was a bright spot for them, though, as he put up a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double effort. He also went 4-5 from long distance, with each of those jumpers coming off a pass.
The following day saw the Duke University product go 2-4 in catch-and-shoots against the Nuggets. Had the Hornets not blown out the hosts with a balanced offensive attack, he probably would have recorded more than 27 minutes, 14 points, and taken field-goal attempts. Of course, that was the farthest thing from his mind, given his team-first mentality.
Hopefully, Knueppel can sustain his torrid shooting for the rest of the season, as it is key to Buzz City potentially making a run for one of the play-in berths.
Now, we don’t actually know if the franchise has that goal in mind, but it makes perfect sense for it to let its young core have a taste of postseason atmosphere because it would be fantastic for their development. And if it wants such an outcome, the first-year pro has to continue helping the Hornets’ offense hum with his shooting proficiency and all-around skills.