The Dallas Mavericks dropped their third game in a row on Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets, and Kon Knueppel's performance alone proved exactly why the Mavs need to tank for the remainder of the season. Knueppel finished with 34 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal while shooting 10-16 from the field and 8-12 from downtown.
While Cooper Flagg had the better game, as he finished with a career-high 49 points on 20-29 shooting, Knueppel got the last laugh and helped lead his team to a big road victory. Flagg didn't have the help he needed to get it done, and this game was a reminder that one star isn't enough to win at the highest level in today's NBA.
Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving are both pushing to return from their injuries this season, but they're not on Flagg's timeline. They could both be on the decline before we know it, and the Mavericks need to do whatever they can to find another young stud.
There was plenty of friendly back-and-forth trash talk and shot-making between Flagg and Knueppel in this one, and this type of high-profile rookie matchup could've just shown the entire league the next best rivalry.
The Mavericks need to tank to find Cooper Flagg a running mate — now
Cross-conference rivalries are typically hard to come by, as they only play each other twice a year, but Mavs-Hornets has the bones to be a fun rivalry when they play against one another. Knueppel and Flagg both look like they'll be superstars one day, and with them being so close, every matchup will always bring the best out of both players.
"It’s incredible," Flagg said last night when asked about playing against Knueppel. "I think it’s pretty well known that was my roommate last year…I know how special he is, and how hard he works…10+ years down the road, I think we’ll both be looking back on this as a pretty special thing…That’s my brother for life."
Knueppel and Flagg will always share a tight bond, but this game stretches far beyond the duel between them. It also exposed how badly the Mavs need to tank, and how beneficial tanking can be. Charlotte embraced the tank last year, and it helped them land one of the most impactful rookies from the last few seasons.
The Mavs have been stuck in a limbo for some time, as they haven't clearly chosen a direction of pushing for the playoffs or tanking, but now is the time to pack it in for the year. Dallas is 19-29 on the season, and while they are just four games back from the Play-In Tournament and the No. 10 seed, they are also only six games ahead of the fourth-worst team in the NBA.
The Mavs could tank themselves into a favorable lottery pick if they play their cards right over the last few months of the season, and Knueppel just showed why this should be at the top of Dallas' mind.
He was the No. 4 pick in last summer's draft, coming after Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and VJ Edgecombe. Despite being drafted fourth, he has quickly proven that he is the second-best rookie in the NBA, only trailing Flagg, his former roommate at Duke. Knueppel couldn't be stopped against the Mavericks last night, and his dominance showed why Dallas needs a co-star for Flagg ASAP.
The Hornets are on a hot streak, winning eight of their last 11 games. Knueppel has played a massive part in that, as he is averaging 17.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from beyond the arc in that span. His presence alone has helped Charlotte turn into a team that looks like it can make the play-in if they finish strong, and this is a significant change from how they've looked in past seasons.
The Hornets are known for being one of the bottom feeders of the East, as they haven't won a playoff series since 2002. The last time that they were even in the playoffs was 2016, and they've won less than 30 games in each of the last four seasons (61 combined wins over the last three seasons).
They were in a dark place before Kon Knueppel came into the picture, but now they're relevant again. They're the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference, only trailing the Chicago Bulls and the No. 10 seed by 2.5 games. They're playing their best basketball of the season at the perfect time, and they look like a completely different team as of late.
Now imagine what the Mavericks would look like if they strike gold again and jump into the top four of the 2026 NBA Draft. Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson, or AJ Dybantsa would be waiting for them, and they'd have the chance to draft a second young star to pair with Cooper Flagg for years to come.
Opportunities like this don't come around often, and with the Mavs not fully controlling their own pick until 2031 after this year, they have to hit on this selection. This is their only great chance at moving up in the lottery and drafting a young star, and Knueppel's impact on the Hornets reveals why the Mavs should take this strategy seriously.
With this year's draft class being extremely strong, the Mavs will have plenty of strong players to choose from. Especially if they move up in the lottery.
Adding a player of Kon Knueppel's talent level would be game-changing for Dallas, and the Mavs' front office had a front-row seat to the league's best rookies going blow for blow in an intense matchup earlier this week. Moving up in the lottery doesn't guarantee that the Mavs will land a player as talented as Knueppel, but they need to give themselves their best possible shot at drafting a difference-maker by selling off pieces and embracing a rebuild around Flagg.