Kon Knueppel is among the finest offensive weapons within the NCAA, however will his scoring prowess translate to the NBA?
The 2025 Duke Blue Devils, regardless of dropping within the Closing 4 in an embarrassing collapse, are some of the gifted groups ever assembled on the faculty degree and are positive to have NBA expertise picked all through the primary spherical.
Headlined by Cooper Flagg, the consensus primary decide, fellow freshman Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach will definitely be picked close to the highest as nicely, though neither of them presents the well-rounded skillset boasted by Flagg.
Whereas Knueppel doesn’t mission to be a transformative NBA prospect, he does have a excessive ceiling and will play successful basketball on the highest degree.
- Age/Date of Beginning: 19 (August 3, 2005)
- Nationality: American
- Top/weight: 6-foot-7, 217
- Faculty: Duke Blue Devils
- Profession stats: 14.4 factors, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 47.9 FG%, 40.6 3PT%
- NCAA Match stats: 15.0 factors, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 53.7 FG%, 55.5 3PT%
- Profession highs: 28 factors (vs. Georgia Tech), 8 rebounds (vs. Wake Forest, Louisville), 8 assists (vs. Georgia Tech, Kansas)
- NBA comparability: Gordon Hayward
Knueppel is prepared for the NBA. He has the scale and energy to make up for his lack of athleticism, and may perform a little little bit of the whole lot on the offensive aspect of the ball.
After all, Flagg had the ball in his arms most of the time in Duke’s offense, however Knueppel confirmed some flash as a secondary playmaker and ball-handler, and doesn’t get the tunnel imaginative and prescient of most high-level NCAA scorers.
By taking part in subsequent to Flagg, Kueppel, who was a five-star recruit, realized tips on how to play as a second-option, which most high-level recruits need to study after being drafted.
On protection, he can, in principle, sustain with most off-ball gamers, however he gained’t be switching with ease to protect quicker ball-handlers.
He can rating off the dribble due to his solid-ball dealing with, however he’s, ideally, a spot-up 3-point shooter. He can knock down pictures with the most effective of them, highlighted by his 40.6% from deep, and he led the ACC in free-throw proportion, which means that his taking pictures stroke will solely enhance, which is difficult to move on within the fashionable NBA.
Surrounded by stars at Duke, Knueppel may take loads of wide-open pictures with time to set his ft. Granted, he knocked these pictures down at a really excessive clip, however when he has to hurry and has defenders closing out on him, will he be capable of make them? What about dribble handoffs, which weren’t an motion Duke used very a lot? Klay Thompson made a residing taking these pictures for the Golden State Warriors, and Knuppel merely doesn’t have that have.
On protection, he isn’t fast sufficient to maintain up with ball handlers. He can do a strong job in opposition to different wings, however don’t anticipate him to change to face between Donovan Mitchell and the basket, and even somebody shifty however not quick like TJ McConnell.
He has the energy to get via defenders on the best way to the rim, however he lacks the hops to recover from defenders on the rim. Whereas he has the scale and deal with to play like Hayward, that’s a beneficiant comparability, though at worst he may very well be a much bigger and higher Kevin Huerter. It’s value rolling the cube.
Relying on how the draft lottery goes, including Knueppel as a standstill shooter subsequent to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller on the Charlotte Hornets would work nicely, though Charlotte has its eyes set on Flagg.
The Orlando Magic love outsized lineups, and Knueppel may area the ground, giving them some much-needed taking pictures.
A wholesome Philadelphia 76ers squad may use him as an improve over Kelly Oubre, however they owe their first-round decide to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder if it falls outdoors of the highest six, and if the Sixers get to make use of their very own decide, a greater participant needs to be out there.
After all, the San Antonio Spurs may add as a lot taking pictures round Victor Wembanyama as attainable, and including Knueppel would make it simpler for them to commerce Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, and even Devin Vassell for a extra established star.
Knueppel’s finest match might be decided by his taking pictures. If he pans out and may shoot 40% within the NBA and sustain on protection, any staff might be completely happy to have him. There’s all the time room for extra shooters.
