Kon Air: The Kon Knueppel Thread

[JustBuzzin]

Kid has an extremely high BBIQ and almost always makes the right play, I’ll tell ya what. He may still disappoint us but at least he’s not going to piss us off the way Tidjane Kai and Bouk did.

He won't be a bust. Anyone thinking he will bust just doesn't know basketball.

I always said he's going to be a good role player at worst. Sure he might not be a top 5 player from this class, but he can still have a productive career.

[wilson115]

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[wilson115]

+26 tonight

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[Chapelchilla]

Oh you were just being pedantic

And you were a smart aleck because you're mad mad they drafted Kon.

Who doesn't suck at all, lol.

[EmpireFalls]

Kid has an extremely high BBIQ and almost always makes the right play, I’ll tell ya what. He may still disappoint us but at least he’s not going to piss us off the way Tidjane Kai and Bouk did.

He won't be a bust. Anyone thinking he will bust just doesn't know basketball.

I always said he's going to be a good role player at worst. Sure he might not be a top 5 player from this class, but he can still have a productive career.

I still think his defense is gonna be a liability vs actual high level athletes; that’s the main source of my pessimism on the pick. But yeah his offense is just so crisp, everything he does makes sense, no wasted motion, obviously a knockdown shooter. You don’t regret having guys like that on the team, at least.

[yosemiteben]

I don't think he has a realistic chance of being a top 5 player from the class (I'm skeptical top 10 is in the cards) and was a pretty big reach. Does anyone, even the people who wanted to draft him, think he actually has a shot of being a top 5 player from this class? I don't want to speak for other people, but I don't get the sense that anyone really views him that way.

A lot of people liked/loved the pick. Is there a single person willing to say that they feel at least somewhat strongly that he is going to be a top 5 player from this class?

Wasn't my preferred pick, but IMO absolutely has the ability to be a top 5 pick in this class. I honestly hadn't watched him much before summer league other than pre draft scoring videos, and I am extremely impressed with him.

[yosemiteben]

Love

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[MPM]

Quite a bit to be impressed with tonight but that backdoor cut past Bryant was pretty dang sweet. His passing has also been super.

[driveandkick]

Quite a bit to be impressed with tonight but that backdoor cut past Bryant was pretty dang sweet. His passing has also been super.

I linked it somewhere in here but some of the analytics geeks uncovered that Kon had some of the best passing data they had ever seen coming out of Duke. He just wasn’t asked to do it much in college

[Liver_Pooty]

He’s still got some baby fat to trim off. Dudes going to be perfectly fine.

[driveandkick]

He’s still got some baby fat to trim off. Dudes going to be perfectly fine.

Does he though? It’s refreshing to finally have a “core” player that’s not a twig.

[Liver_Pooty]

He’s still got some baby fat to trim off. Dudes going to be perfectly fine.

Does he though? It’s refreshing to finally have a “core” player that’s not a twig.

I should rephrase. Turn that little baby fat into a little bit of refined muscle. I think he has a tiny bit of untapped athleticism as well. He’s still a kid.

[Liver_Pooty]

On a side note that behind the back pass was Larry bird to Kevin Mchale.

I’m kidding before people start getting all pissed.

[LofJ]

I don't think I've ever seen anything like this either.

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[Liver_Pooty]

I don't think I've ever seen anything like this either.

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Then completely squares up. And when he squares completely up it’s butter more often than not.

[Bassman]

On a side note that behind the back pass was Larry bird to Kevin Mchale.

I’m kidding before people start getting all pissed.

Don’t apologize. You’re on to something. Kon has some gifts that you don’t teach. It is his superpower as a player, elevating him beyond his athletic limitations. Call it feel, call it BBIQ, it’s why he’s seen as a potential turbo connector for a talented roster. Bird had that also, which is why these moments register a resemblance feeling.

Yes it’s very early, but we saw plenty of it at Duke. If Kon can do these things next level….

[luciano-davidwesley]

Until proven otherwise, I don't See how anyone can say they would be scared of his defense and then say the alternative was to draft tre.
I like Tre but I'm not gonna pretend like his defense isn't scarier to me.

I think it's easier to teach defensive effort and fundamentals than it is to teach someone to be a better athlete, so there's that

Kai Jones says hi.

3 years in and he had no idea how to play or where to be.

[GoBobs]

There are also plenty of examples in the league today where guys are stars despite not being athletic.

Steph
Joker
Luka

We are in an era where skill is really important.

[wilson115]

Finally clips of his defense. Also noticed he had trouble against Harrison Ingram's defense (and his 7-foot wingspan) who forced Kon to turn it over on multiple possessions early in the 3rd, so another thing to adjust to. Wasn't as bothered by Carter Bryant though, a smaller and skinnier defender.

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[SWedd523]

Until proven otherwise, I don't See how anyone can say they would be scared of his defense and then say the alternative was to draft tre.
I like Tre but I'm not gonna pretend like his defense isn't scarier to me.

I think it's easier to teach defensive effort and fundamentals than it is to teach someone to be a better athlete, so there's that

Kai Jones says hi.

3 years in and he had no idea how to play or where to be.

Well there you go, that ends the discussion once and for all.