Kon Knueppel proved to NBA fans what everyone at Duke already knew about him

This spring, Kon Knueppel rose up NBA Draft boards to become the eventual No. 4 overall pick of the Charlotte Hornets. This summer, he showed everyone why. 

The 19-year-old was an instant star in the NBA Summer League, leading the Hornets to their first Summer League title on Sunday with 21 points in an 83-78 win over the Sacramento Kings. The Hornets finished a perfect 6-0 in Las Vegas, and Knueppel was named the MVP of the Summer League. 

Kon Knueppel didn’t need Cooper Flagg to be great at Duke

With Cooper Flagg leading the way, Knueppel was happy to slide into the role of secondary playmaker and provide off-ball scoring along Duke’s path to the Final Four. However, in his time away from Flagg, the freshman proved that the team could still be one of the best in the country with him as the No. 1 option. 

While he was already a big name on the national level, Knueppel’s official coming-out party was the ACC Tournament, after Flagg injured his ankle in the quarterfinals against Georgia Tech. Knueppel finished with 28 points in the eight-point victory over the Yellow Jackets, then led the Blue Devils to wins over North Carolina and Louisville, taking home the tournament’s most outstanding player award. 

It took Knueppel a game to acclimate to the Summer League competition, as he scored just five points in his debutKon Knueppel proved to NBA fans what everyone at Duke already knew about him

. However, he averaged 18.3 points over the final four games of the summer. Immediately, the leader of the Hornets, he came up big in clutch time, knocking down a dagger three with just over thirty seconds remaining in the final to put Charlotte up four points on Sacramento. 

Flagg rightfully stole the show in Durham last season, and it’s a credit to Knueppel that he coexisted so seamlessly with the best player in college basketball. Still, there was always more to Knueppel’s game than just being a No. 2 option. Duke fans knew that from his ACC Tournament run, and NBA fans just got their first glimpse.

While the Summer League is all about showcasing the NBA's newest crop of talent, it's rare that a top pick leads his team to the title and claims MVP honors. Only five top-five picks have ever won the Summer League MVP the same year that they were drafted, and Knueppel is the first since Keegan Murray in 2022. The others were Blake Griffin in 2009, John Wall in 2010, and Lonzo Ball in 2017. Not bad company for Knueppel to keep.