Kon Knueppel has been putting together a spectacular rookie season for the Charlotte Hornets. He has looked like a 10-year league veteran at just 20 years old, and the ridiculous numbers he's putting up serve to put his insane campaign into perspective.
After taking home Rookie of the Month honors in both November and December, Knueppel's greatness has become impossible to ignore. He's one of just two players in the NBA this season averaging 15 points and five rebounds per game while also shooting 42% from three-point range. The only other player doing that? None other than three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Perhaps the biggest indicator of how absurd Kon has been to begin his NBA career is that his three-point shooting volume can't be matched by any player in league history. In his first 40 games of the season, Knueppel has 137 made threes, which is the most for any player ever in the Association through their first 40 career games.
If that weren't ridiculous enough by itself, no one has ever even reached the 100 made threes mark by their 40th career game. He's absolutely blowing this record out of the water. It's not a stretch at all to say Kon is on an all-time great pace through the first half of his rookie season.
Kon Knueppel is one of two players in the NBA this season averaging 15 points and 5 rebounds per game while shooting 42% from three (Nikola Jokic).
— Will Eudy (@WillEudyNBA) January 17, 2026
He currently ranks 4th in the NBA in three-point makes with 137.
Kon Knueppel has the makings of an all-time great shooter
It's safe to say what Knueppel is doing has been better than the best-case scenario through the first three months of his debut professional season. While plenty were optimistic about his skill and his fit with the rest of the roster, no one could have reasonably predicted he'd dominate like this.
And as impressive as the numbers are, the eye test blows you away every bit as much when you watch Kon play. Not only is his jumper silky smooth and reminiscent of a young Klay Thompson, but seemingly every part of his game is highly polished. There's no wasted movement, and that's something you hardly ever see from a young player.
Anyone who's followed the Hornets this season knows Knueppel looks like someone who will be a star in this league for many years. He proved right from the start that the moment is never too big for him. Kon's shot-making ability is top-tier, his confidence and maturity are palpable, and the consistency has been there from day one.
When you combine all that with his age and feel for the game, it becomes hard not to believe Charlotte may have already found one of the league’s next great shooters. Kon Knueppel is shaping up to be a future Hornets legend.