As the first round of the 2025 NBA draft came to a close last night, many players took the very first step in their NBA careers. Teams carefully selected those who could give their respective franchises a hopefully bright future. Whether or not any of those picks work out is a question that won’t be answered immediately, but it doesn’t mean we can’t grade teams on how well they did in the draft. Let’s examine the first-round pick made by the Charlotte Hornets and see what kind of grade they get for this year’s first round.
Kon Knueppel: Grade A-
Coming into the draft, Knueppel was widely viewed by scouts as perhaps the best shooter in this year’s draft class. The Duke product stands at 6-foot-7 with a fluid jump shot coupled with a high release point and quick trigger, which helped Knueppel shoot an efficient 41% from three for the Blue Devils last season.
The Hornets ended last season ranked 28th in three-point shooting and 18th in overall three-pointers made as a team. While some of the Hornets’ shooting woes can be attributed to great shooters such as LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller missing significant time due to injuries. The Hornets made clear during the draft process that they needed more perimeter shooters and scorers, and Knueppel fits that bill.
Knueppel’s Weaknesses
Even though Knueppel’s sharpshooting abilities mixed with his tremendous shot creation acumen will be positives for the Hornets, there are still some weaknesses the Duke star must iron out if he wants to carve out a lengthy NBA career. NBA scouts noted that Knueppel’s lack of explosiveness and lateral quickness can have an impact on his ability to defend well. They also noted how Duke’s overall defensive metrics were better when Knueppel was off the floor last season. Although the 19-year-old still has plenty of youth left to become a better athlete to help out on the defensive end of the floor.
Final Thoughts
The Hornets have been a team that has drafted well over the past five years, selecting Ball in 2020 and rising star Miller in 2023. I expect Knueppel to be another positive addition to the team, as Charlotte seeks to end this long and arduous rebuild process.
