At this point in his dazzling rookie season, you don't need me to tell you that Kon Knueppel is more than just a three-point specialist.
When the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Knueppel's acumen as a jump shooter was the headline of his scouting profile. The former Duke Blue Devil knocked down 40% of his three-point shots as a freshman on elite volume (54.8% of his field goal attempts were from deep), sparking Jon Scheyer's elite offensive system with his extraterrestrial gravitational pull.
Once he finally laced it up in the NBA, it didn't take long for him to dispell any narratives that he was just a shooter.
Knueppel boasts a well-rounded skill set that has transformed Charles Lee's offense. His ability to dribble, pass, and shoot as a combo guard/forward has opened up a number of go-to actions for the Hornets to run when he's on the floor, and there's a look in particular that has become the one of the most efficient plays in the league this season.
Kon Knueppel's Roll Man Proficiency
Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel (7) passes against Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00)
Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images
The Hornets have been lauded for their guard-guard screening actions.
My favorite Hornets possessions these days involve Kon Knueppel slipping the screen into the short roll. pic.twitter.com/rMJROOu3GS
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) November 5, 2025
One of Charlotte's go-to actions involves three players spaced out at the baseline, a ball handler at the top of the key, and the fifth player, often times Knueppel, staking ground at the free throw line to eventually set a screen for the player handling the ball.
Often times, the screener will 'ghost' out of that action and slide to the three-point line for an open look while the ball handler drives downhill.
Hornets - "Wipe" - 1-4 Flat + Guard-guard pick-and-roll
Charles Lee makes the "Wipe" motion as Collin Sexton dribbles up the floor, Tre Mann as the screener, Moussa Diabate in the dunker spot
Sexton turns the corner on Cole Anthony, skips to Liam McNeeley for open corner 3 pic.twitter.com/BaRUCSdUBS
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) November 13, 2025
Other times, and this is where the magic happens, the screener will slip into the short roll (the free throw line area) and effectively have a four-on-three because the defense put two players on the ball.
It's those actions, that involve Knueppel slipping into the short roll area, that have become a nightmare for opposing defense to contain. According to nbarapm.com, Kon Knueppel is the most-efficient roll man in the league.
The site has tracked 95 instinces in which Knueppel has been the roller in a screening action, and the Hornets have a 78.2% true shooting percentage and are averaging a blistering 1.53 points per possession in those sets.
After a recent game, Knueppel was asked about his decision-making process when he catches the ball in the short roll.
"It's got to be room (to shoot) first. So you look to score first, and then to pass off of that. You look for that two-on-one (with the big man in the dunker spot who's defender lifts to guard Knueppel at the free throw line), and then I'm looking opposite for the kick out three."
I asked Kon about his decision-making in these moments after the Heat game - can see his process play out in these clips that Brian has posted. https://t.co/cMVVM9owcE pic.twitter.com/meK1Keb4MS
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) March 10, 2026
Brian Geisinger of the Buzz Beat Podcast has a thread on X that details a couple of instinces in which Charlotte has used Knueppel as a short-roller to maximize the synergy between him, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller: the Hornets' big three.
More of the same at Phoenix for the Hornets:
Kon Knueppel short roll kick-out pass for a Brandon Miller wing 3, working out of guard-guard pick-and-roll with LaMelo Ball https://t.co/SJA9FDOFAc pic.twitter.com/IJsRew8vBf
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) March 10, 2026
Knueppel's versatility is a weapon that the Hornets have maximized this season, and it is a major key to their offensive success. The sky is the limit for Kon as an offensive hub, and if his rookie campaign has taught us one thing, it is to not put any limits on his ceiling as an NBA player.
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