Kon Knueppel is having a shooting season for the ages. Understandably, the Charlotte Hornets guard has drawn Larry Bird and Steph Curry comparisons. He’s flirting with a 50-40-90 shooting season as a 20-year-old. Perhaps the best display of his brilliance, though, is that he now owns the all-time three-pointers made rookie record. No, the season is not over.
Kon Knueppel sets NBA rookie 3PM record
An NBA season is 82 games. In 2022-23, Keegan Murray made 206 threes while appearing in 80 games. That set the record. You may be wondering about elite shooters like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson as a rookie, but the volume three-point shooting phenomenon came after and because of them.
Still, that was an impressive record until Kon Knueppel broke it last Thursday night. The Charlotte Hornets’ guard was on fire from deep, making eight threes en route to breaking Murray’s record. If you’re keeping track, Knueppel has played 59 games.
Barring a health issue, Knueppel is on pace to shatter the record and end up with over 270 threes made this season. Either way, even if he doesn’t play again this year, he owns the record and one of the most impressive seasons shooting the basketball as a rookie. His percentages are almost impossible for even the most savvy, veteran shooters.
After the dominant victory, Knueppel said via ESPN, “It’s really just about making the right basketball play. My teammates are setting good screens and setting me up in good spots. The coaches as well. I’m just out there looking to make the right play for my team.”
Head coach Charles Lee believes that’s what sets Knueppel apart and has helped the Hornets turn things around. “It’s what elevates our whole culture when you have a guy that’s that good, but that humble, no ego — it becomes contagious throughout your whole organization,” Lee said.
Speaking of Steph Curry, Knueppel now has a record not even he has, but Curry’s most impressive shooting seasons (like more than 400 makes in a season) came later as he revolutionized basketball. Still, the Golden State Warriors star recognizes greatness.
“He can obviously shoot the ball at a high level,” Curry said after a game against the Hornets a few weeks ago. “You can’t really leave him open at all as he has such a quick release and shoots with confidence. And his playmaking is very underrated. His game just suits the NBA style, whether it’s fast-paced or a slowed-down possession game.”
Knueppel recently passed Donovan Mitchell for the NBA lead in three-point makes.”He’s talented,” Mitchell said. “For him to be a rookie and be able to go out there and make it look effortless. … We know he can shoot the ball, right? But I think him getting to the midrange and play-develop in the small pick-and-roll that is something I think is really unique about his game is being able to do that and create advantages for himself.”
All of this has Knueppel in an “interesting,” as Mitchell put it, race for Rookie of the Year. His former roommate, Cooper Flagg, is the betting favorite. Per FanDuel, Flagg is -130, but Knueppel is closing fast. He has dropped to +100.
Knueppel has the edge in net rating and true shooting, while Flagg’s Player Impact Estimate is a touch higher. In traditional stats, Flagg has a slight edge in points, rebounds, and assists, but he also has a higher usage rate. It’s been an incredibly tight race so far.
Either one could win, but nothing will take away the fact that Knueppel’s name is in the history books amid one of the most impressive rookie shooting seasons in basketball history.
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