The Charlotte Hornets listed Kon Knueppel as probable to play in their bout versus the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. And while some fans might be wishing for him to be off the injury report, it's actually a good sign that he isn't out or questionable for the game.
When Knueppel sustained the injury, there was legitimate concern that he would have to miss more time. The way his ankle rolled did not look good, and the Hornets faithful are always scared of the team's injury curse rearing its ugly head.
It's fine if Knueppel cannot suit up, especially if he needs time to fully recover from his sprained ankle. On the other hand, you have to love the notion that there seems to be no structural damage and that he looks determined not to miss a significant time off the court.
Hornets coach Charles Lee said recently that his prized rookie wanted to continue practicing despite the sprain. When asked by Rod Boone about Knueppel's progress, he said that the swingman is being evaluated every day, and that his availability will depend on how his health fares before tip-off.
A dream matchup with a GOAT
It would certainly be an intriguing idea if Knueppel is able to play against the Warriors, as it would showcase a battle between two of the league's best marksmen.
Stephen Curry is undoubtedly the greatest 3-point shooter of all time. However, no one should sleep on the Rookie of the Year candidate one day becoming a contender for that status.
Knueppel is already breaking 3-point records, such as becoming the fastest to hit 100 career threes by a mile. Interestingly, his average of 4.0 makes from downtown per 36 minutes and 3-point field-goal percentage of 42.8 percent are pretty similar to Curry's career numbers. So, it's not far-fetched to believe he can challenge for the throne if he can also play at least 1,000 games in his career.
Besides the potential showdown with Curry, though, another reason fans want to see Knueppel in action already is that Charlotte sorely missed Knueppel's offensive production in its recent loss against the Milwaukee Bucks. With Miles Bridges questionable to suit up against Golden State, the Hornets can use all the scoring help they can get.
If both of them end up as scratches, the offensive burden will fall on LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who will certainly be the focus of the Warriors' defense.