The Charlotte Hornets fought hard for the first half on Monday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, only trailing by two points at halftime. However, they were outscored 31-15 in the third quarter and ultimately fell 121-111, dropping to 3-7 this season.
A recurring story for Charlotte in recent years has been keeping their stars on the court and healthy—most notably LaMelo Ball, who missed his fourth consecutive game with a nagging ankle injury.
On the bright side, the Hornets have been pleasantly surprised by what first-round rookie Kon Knueppel has brought to the table through his first 10 games.
Against the Lakers, he recorded 19 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, reaching an historic milestone for the former Duke star. Knueppel became the first player in NBA history to total 150-plus points and 30-plus three-pointers in the first 10 games of his career, according to NBA Stats.
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Knueppel was selected fourth overall by the Hornets, three picks after his Duke teammate Cooper Flagg went No. 1 overall to the Dallas Mavericks.
While Flagg and Knueppel were college roommates during their freshman seasons and thrived on the floor together—helping lead the Blue Devils to the Final Four—Knueppel often played in Flagg’s shadow.
Flagg was widely regarded as the best freshman and top player in the country last season, drawing most of the attention. Early on in Charlotte, however, Knueppel has performed right on par with Flagg, proving his worth at the next level.
Knueppel is currently averaging 16.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.6 steals in 32.2 minutes per game. He’s shooting 45.2% from the field, 40.0% from three-point range, and 91.3% from the free-throw line.
He is set to return to action with the Hornets on Wednesday night, when Charlotte hosts the Milwaukee Bucks at 7 p.m. ET.
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