The vote is in: Why NBA’s major award should have Kon Knueppel’s name on it
With the season in the rearview mirror and the Charlotte Hornets’ fun run over, Miles Bridges came to the defense of his rookie teammate.
Kon Knueppel’s struggles down the stretch were well-documented and he didn’t exactly shine the brightest in those final days in the national spotlight. But Bridges essentially told people to pump the brakes on the hot takes regarding how Knueppel wasn’t worthy of garnering the award that many believe he has a good chance to win.
“It’s tough for rookies,” Bridges said less than 24 hours after the Hornets’ loss to the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament. “I feel for Kon, but at the same time he had a great season. He had a great season and you can’t take that away from him.
“I personally think he’s the rookie of the year still. Everybody hits that rookie wall, but Kon’s been great for us. He helped create that culture change for us.”
Which is what makes Monday evening so intriguing.
.JPG "CLT_hornetsvhawks_01 (2).JPG")
That’s when the NBA will officially announce the 2025-26 Kia Rookie of the Year, bringing an end to the debate. Knueppel is either going to join Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball as the franchise’s latest player to win the coveted award or see it go to good buddy and fellow Duke product Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks.
Let’s examine some of the evidence in Knueppel’s favor.
Such as earning Eastern Conference rookie of the month honors for four straight months, becoming the first player in franchise history to win it that many times and the first in the NBA to do it since another Blue Devil — Orlando star Paolo Banchero — accomplished the feat in 2022-23.
Finishing tops in the NBA in 3-pointers (270) is also noteworthy, no?
What about the 20-year-old being the youngest to sink 250 made 3-pointers in a season? Or overtaking Hornets minority owner Michael Jordan for the NBA rookie record for most games with 20 or more points on 65% true shooting?
Don’t forget Knueppel owns the NBA rookie record for 3-pointers in a season. Not to mention grabbing the distinction as the fastest player in NBA history to reach 200 career made 3-pointers.
Setting a new NBA rookie record for most games with five or more 3-pointers? Go ahead and include that, too.
And that’s just a slither of Knueppel’s laundry list of accolades.
Sure, Knueppel didn’t post more than 14 points in any of his final four regular-season games. But by then, he’d already suited up in nearly double the number of games (39) he played in throughout his lone season at Duke just 24 months after lacing up his sneakers for high school basketball action in Milwaukee.
“No excuses,” Knueppel said during exit interviews. “I just didn’t make a lot of shots. I shot really well throughout the year and you just got to the point in the last week of the season, the last two weeks of the season, just didn’t shoot it great. Sometimes that’s how it rolls. Obviously, there are some big games and you want to be able to shoot it well and you want to have your best stuff.
“I just didn’t have it. So, it’s frustrating. It is a long season. It’s my first time doing it, so some of that I think is a learning experience, just how to keep yourself fresh because these seasons are long. I haven’t had any off time since last college season.”
He finally got some over the last two weeks, retreating to his native Wisconsin for some much-needed rest and relaxation. But that will be interrupted if Knueppel is named the rookie of the year on Monday.
A global panel of 100 voters will have the final say. For years, the Charlotte Observer has been included among the contingent asked to participate in the process of determining who should win the various regular-season awards.
Until they are all completely handed out during the NBA playoffs, the people who voted remain confidential, ultimately released to the public upon the presentation of the final award. But The Observer decided to peel back the curtain early on its ballot.
The vote from this vantage point goes to Knueppel.
For everything referenced and then some, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft had a major impact in helping the Hornets accumulate 44 victories, and Knueppel’s overall body of work should catapult him above Flagg and give him ultimate bragging rights whenever the duo gets together.
