Kon Air: The Kon Knueppel Thread

[KingCat]

If we are looking for shooting and ball handling, I'm not sure why you'd take Kon over Tre. Especially with how well Tre measured/tested vs how slow Kon clearly is in the court.

I reiterate that Kon sitting out of the combine drills is boosting his stock.

[Diop]

he seems more Jo Ingles than Doncic lite to me, but again Ingles is 6'7 which he used to help himself defensively

[GoBobs]

If the draft went...

1. Flagg
2. Harper
3. Tre
4. Kon

I wouldn't be mad

[vexco]

If the draft went...

1. Flagg
2. Harper
3. Tre
4. Kon

I wouldn't be mad

Me neither as long as we traded out of #4.

[JMAC3]

Drafting some combo of Luke Kennard/Joe Ingles/Kispert 4th overall seems like a pretty terrible pick to me.

Ingles career high was 12 ppg, while being 3 inches taller, 4 inches longer in wingspan- which at least allowed him to play some small ball 4 vs slower defenders.

I have Kon ranked 11th on my big board

[driveandkick]

Comparing him to Ingles and Kispert is just insane.

The Kon hysteria has gone outrageously far on this forum. Not only is he the best shooter in the draft he’s also one of the best passers in the draft. I know we have to make up statistics and data points for everything now, but man just watch the games. He’s diving on the floor for loose balls up 25 points and pays attention to absolutely everything happening around him at all times. These are reasons why I think he’ll be able to at least get by defensively.

There may not be some stat or formula for how this is measured but we simply never draft this player and we also simply never win games. But I’m sure getting someone like Tre or Ace who can be a mildly efficient scorer and sometimes explode for huge games sure that would be cool. These players have never shown they can contribute to winning, but it’s fine. The next one will be the one to change our fortunes for sure.

[Walt Cronkite]

I don't hate the idea of drafting Knueppel and wouldn't be surprised for him to have the longest career of the class, but 4 just seems too early.

[JMAC3]

Comparing him to Ingles and Kispert is just insane.

The Kon hysteria has gone outrageously far on this forum. Not only is he the best shooter in the draft he’s also one of the best passers in the draft. I know we have to make up statistics and data points for everything now, but man just watch the games. He’s diving on the floor for loose balls up 25 points and pays attention to absolutely everything happening around him at all times. These are reasons why I think he’ll be able to at least get by defensively.

There may not be some stat or formula for how this is measured but we simply never draft this player and we also simply never win games. But I’m sure getting someone like Tre or Ace who can be a mildly efficient scorer and sometimes explode for huge games sure that would be cool. These players have never shown they can contribute to winning, but it’s fine. The next one will be the one to change our fortunes for sure.

Go watch Kispert Gonzaga film, he is a better athlete and more explosive than Kon. If the argument is Kon is better passer and that is the difference then maybe I am wrong, but Kispert is just flat out a better athlete on film. Kispert also an inch taller and inch longer wingspan. Kispert 37.5 Max Vert at combine, do you think Kon is beating that?

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[JMAC3]

Kispert stats year he was drafted 18.6 ppg, 5 rpg 1.8 apg
9 Dunks
98/130 at rim 75.4%
20/58 midrange
91/207 three (90.4% assisted)

Kon stats this year 14.4 ppg, 4 rpb, 2.7 apg
2 Dunks
77/122 at rim 63%
20/49 midrange
84/207 (93% assisted)

So yeah, these talks this is such an outlandish comp don't really exist with me especially when Kispert is bigger and more athletic.

[yosemiteben]

Kispert stats year he was drafted 18.6 ppg, 5 rpg 1.8 apg
9 Dunks
98/130 at rim 75.4%
20/58 midrange
91/207 three (90.4% assisted)

Kon stats this year 14.4 ppg, 4 rpb, 2.7 apg
2 Dunks
77/122 at rim 63%
20/49 midrange
84/207 (93% assisted)

So yeah, these talks this is such an outlandish comp don't really exist with me especially when Kispert is bigger and more athletic.

I'm really not that big on Kon and I would not be particularly excited to draft him, but using Kispert's stats as a 4 year senior to compare to Kon's freshman stats does not make a compelling argument to me.

[JMAC3]

Kispert stats year he was drafted 18.6 ppg, 5 rpg 1.8 apg
9 Dunks
98/130 at rim 75.4%
20/58 midrange
91/207 three (90.4% assisted)

Kon stats this year 14.4 ppg, 4 rpb, 2.7 apg
2 Dunks
77/122 at rim 63%
20/49 midrange
84/207 (93% assisted)

So yeah, these talks this is such an outlandish comp don't really exist with me especially when Kispert is bigger and more athletic.

I'm really not that big on Kon and I would not be particularly excited to draft him, but using Kispert's stats as a 4 year senior to compare to Kon's freshman stats does not make a compelling argument to me.

I agree, obviously age matters a lot when evaluating prospects. However, I don't think Kon is magically just a different player next year, just like Kispert wasn't a different player from his last year in college to first year in NBA. Should Kon improve and be a better player over time? Yes. However, it feels like people are underselling Kispert both as an athlete and as if his playstyle was so different from Kon.

In college they both were mainly assisted threes, almost no midrange, Kispert actually shot more and higher percentage at the rim and was more explosive athlete. Neither were known defenders in college, just like 95% of the guys that have similar measurements as these two. I would rather bet that Kon is probably similar terrible defender to guys with his measurements in his past other than he is going to be some huge outlier just because.

So yeah should Kon end up better than Kispert? I would say yes, but scoffing as if they are just not even comparable players at their size and their current strengths is taking a pretty huge step of faith that Kon just magically overcomes these limitations that have limited so many guys like him in past.

[yosemiteben]

They are completely different caliber of prospects, which is discernible by comparing their freshman stats.

[JMAC3]

They are completely different caliber of prospects, which is discernible by comparing their freshman stats.

The problem with this is that the biggest issues with Kon are not things that are just going to magically get fixed by getting older.
He has a bad wingspan, is a below average athlete and lacks defensive tools.

Typically, when you are projecting guys to get better it is they will improve their shooting, decision making, add weight to their frame, etc...

[JMAC3]

I get it Kon is getting projected high in mock drafts so people are going to gravitate towards him being a good player, but in all honesty what is the difference between him as a prospect and Gradey Dick who went 13th?

[Rich4114]

I have started to come around on Kon but not dramatically. I'm more bought into him being a Gordon Hayward type of player who is athletic enough and smart enough to make it work efficiently. His passing/creation and spacing ability are very attractive. In fact, I might go so far as to say at this point I may lean Kon over Tre Johnson due to overall basketball IQ and playmaking ability vs the pure shooter. I don't think I'd take him over Ace right now and I'm still team VJ over them all.

But in a scenario where say we traded back to 7 in a Zion deal with NOLA, I could be down with Kon.

[Bassman]

I get it Kon is getting projected high in mock drafts so people are going to gravitate towards him being a good player, but in all honesty what is the difference between him as a prospect and Gradey Dick who went 13th?

Knipple is a high skills player who made an impact against major college competition. He presents a classic decision making challenge for teams when judging his body of work versus forward projections, when considering his measurables. It represents his greatest weakness. Maybe he did have ankle issues, or maybe his agents (I believe) wanted that weakness covered up until he gets to individual workouts, where they can control his activity and the narrative.

Regardless 4 is too high to pick Kon IMO.

[SWedd523]

back to back Rock Bottom seasons with Tiddy and Nipples as your reward is so peak Charlotte ineptitude

[Chapelchilla]

I would take him if we traded down with Brooklyn or Was to also add like Sorber.

[JMAC3]

I get it Kon is getting projected high in mock drafts so people are going to gravitate towards him being a good player, but in all honesty what is the difference between him as a prospect and Gradey Dick who went 13th?

Knipple is a high skills player who made an impact against major college competition. He presents a classic decision making challenge for teams when judging his body of work versus forward projections, when considering his measurables. It represents his greatest weakness. Maybe he did have ankle issues, or maybe his agents (I believe) wanted that weakness covered up until he gets to individual workouts, where they can control his activity and the narrative.

Regardless 4 is too high to pick Kon IMO.

That is why I am asking about Gradey Dick though, he was the 2nd leading scorer at Kansas as a freshman for a team that went 28-8. I would say that is a major impact vs major competition, both great shooters. Was Gradey not seen as high bbiq and winning player just like Kon? except he had no top 5 buzz. Why? Gradey was actually bigger and had 15 dunks in college vs 2 for Kon, hinting that he is a better athlete.

Gradey was 9% def epm this year.
Knecht was 1% def epm this year.
Corey Kispert 3% def epm this year.
Luke Kennard 18% def epm this year.
Tim Hardaway Jr 18% def epm this year.
Austin Reeves 41% def epm this year

These are the guys that had similar measurements to Kon as defenders this year. I trust this is a more true determining factor of what Kon will be at the next level on that end of the floor over... he dives on floor for loose balls at Duke so he will be a good defender in the NBA.

[JMAC3]

I don't think I'd want to bet on it happening, but I could see Kon being a mini-Doncic, like Sengun is a mini-Jokic.

Imagine trying to poke holes in my comparison of Kispert, but the only player you compared him to is a top 5 player in the league lololol....

I know you are going to say "I said Luka-Lite" which at that point is a pointless comp

What's more likely? Kon averages 21/8/6 as a rookie like Luka?
Or he averages half of that statline 10/4/3. Does that qualify as Luka light?