The Charlotte Hornets appeared to have locked onto Kon Knueppel with their fourth overall pick early in the draft process this summer. Selecting the sharpshooting swingman obviously meant passing on Tre Johnson, who has been one of the most impactful rookies in the Summer League in Las Vegas.
There is little doubt about how Johnson would have fit in Charlotte, as many pundits believed before and during the draft that his offensive skills would have potentially made him the perfect complement to the Hornets' core. In fact, he has shown exactly that in his first two appearances with the Washington Wizards, who drafted him two picks after Knueppel went off the board.
In his Summer League debut, Johnson put up 18 points and three 3-pointers while showcasing a deep scoring bag. He followed that up by recording 21 markers in the next game. People would have loved to see more from him, but the Wizards have opted to sit him out to let his hamstring recover more quickly.
While the offensive production is unsurprising, it's his defense that has caught the attention of some folks around the league.
Coming into the draft, the University of Texas product's defensive shortcomings were often discussed. He has still displayed the tendency to overcommit against opposing ball-handlers and misnavigate screens. Still, he hasn't been as atrocious on that end of the floor as he was projected to be. Some commentators who covered the games have even praised his awareness and effort when guarding opponents.
Kon Knueppel has to prove he wasn't a reach at No. 4
It remains to be seen, though, if Johnson will turn out to be the better prospect than Knueppel. The Hornets' prized rookie certainly has a lot of fans within the franchise's front office, with Jeff Peterson being incredibly high on his character and maturity.
However, Knueppel has had an uneven couple of matches in Summer League. He registered just five points, one rebound, and four assists in his maiden appearance before filling up the stat sheet in the following contest with 16 points (with three 3-pointers), 10 rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal.
Perhaps his potential all-around game, as well as his efficient marksmanship from the perimeter, is what would make him the ideal piece to put on the floor alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. But if Johnson unexpectedly develops into an all-world scorer with solid defensive chops in Washington, some people inside the Hornets organization could end up scratching their heads over the oversight in the draft.
Of course, we have yet to see how the rookies' careers will eventually progress. So, it's better to trust that Peterson's decision to choose Knueppel over Johnson and other possibly more talented prospects will pan out well for the team that has struggled a ton in the past years.