The Hornets’ No. 4 draft pick is starting to gain real buzz when it comes to the 2025-2026 NBA Rookie of the Year award. The Hornets have been without their two franchise stars, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, for a significant portion of the early season so far. Since their absence, Kon Knueppel has taken charge as the Hornets’ #1 option.

Knueppel is leading all rookies in scoring this season, averaging 17.6 points per game. In five of his last eight games, he’s totaled over 20 points, and in two of those games, he totaled over 30 points. Knueppel is shooting the three at an elite 40% clip. Knuppel has also been a key contributor in the rebounding department, averaging six boards per game and ranking fifth in total rebounds for rookies. He’s also the only guard in the top five of that list. Knueppel started the season slowly when it came to his field goal percentage, but now has it rising and getting closer and closer to that 50% mark, currently shooting 46% from the field.

Knueppel has been able to score inside better than most thought he’d be able to when he was selected fourth overall in the draft. He attacks in a similar style to someone like Luka Doncic. Using his 6-foot-7 frame and subtle strength to bump his defenders out of the way just enough to create space for layups or short mid-range shots. His only real flaw so far has been his turnovers; he’s second in the league in most turnovers per game with 2.5, but this number is inflated due to the absence of Ball and Miller, who usually take the ball-handling responsibilities.

Defensively, Knueppel has been as solid as can be; he’s 12th among rookies in defensive rating, posting a 120.2. Of those rookies, though, Knueppel is third in minutes per game, so despite the defensive rating being 12th, he’s still contributing on the defensive end more than most rookies in this class.

The sad part of all this production from Knueppel is that the Hornets still can’t find consistent success; they’re coming off a third loss in a row against the Toronto Raptors, a game where Knueppel gave them 24 points. If Charlotte is going to turn this around, then they have to figure out how they’ll be able to support the rookie leading the charge. It seems like the only real solution is getting healthy. Once Miller and Ball are back and in the lineup for a significant amount of time, Charlotte will be able to keep games tight with anyone in the league due to the offense being at full power.

One thing is certain, though, Knueppel is showing that no matter how this season goes, he's ready to be a key contributor to the future of the Hornets franchise, and with so much parity around the league in this day and age, it could be sooner than later that the Hornets can make the next step. While this season's not off to the hottest start, there's glinces of potential that should make Hornet fans optimistic.