2025-26 NBA Rookie Discussion Thread

[KirkHinrich12]

Kon otherworldly, again. Almost won a road game vs 11-7 Hawks.

34 min, 28 pts, 9-17 fg, 7-11 3s, 3-3 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk

[zero rings]

Kon might eff around and average 20 ppg on 50/40/90 splits. He's not far off right now.

Best rookie shooter since Curry?

[KirkHinrich12]

Yes. Grayson Allen only guy with a higher 3pt percentage with as many attempts per game as Kon. I think Kon is the better shooter. Could very well be the best shooter in the league when Curry retires.

[basketballRob]

Kon reminds me of Bane.

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[GiggitySmalls]

Kon reminds me of Bane.

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He looks like his ceiling is higher but similar players.

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[amcoolio]

Kon is a taller, thicker Devin Booker to me. The way both move and score so similar is uncanny.

[Castle Black]

Kid is a baller. Straight up. Really impressive.

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[CptCrunch]

Kon, this dude is somehow a top 10 shooters in the league his rookie year.

He might join the 50/40/90 club as a rookie (yes 65 more games), but probably will join it sometime during his career unless derailed by injuries.

[Exp0sed]

Kon is a taller, thicker Devin Booker to me. The way both move and score so similar is uncanny.

I don't see that at all

he's so much smarter and craftier, different builds as well. different form, idk.

[Exp0sed]

i'm a Euro and don't follow college ball at all, so I had no idea who Knueppl was

here's my question, how come that dude wasn't a superstar in college?
he's such a good shooter, with perfect form, really smart player that knows basketball. how come he didn't dominate in college?

[zero rings]

i'm a Euro and don't follow college ball at all, so I had no idea who Knueppl was

here's my question, how come that dude wasn't a superstar in college?
he's such a good shooter, with perfect form, really smart player that knows basketball. how come he didn't dominate in college?

1. He played on a stacked Duke team with the consensus #1 pick.
2. Nobody puts up huge numbers in college unless they play for a weak program. It's a slower paced game and they only play 40 minutes.

Kon was absolutely elite in his role last year, and the analytics models loved him. I think Kevin Pelton's model had him #2.

[Exp0sed]

i'm a Euro and don't follow college ball at all, so I had no idea who Knueppl was

here's my question, how come that dude wasn't a superstar in college?
he's such a good shooter, with perfect form, really smart player that knows basketball. how come he didn't dominate in college?

1. He played on a stacked Duke team with the consensus #1 pick.
2. Nobody puts up huge numbers in college unless they play for a weak program. It's a slower paced game and they only play 40 minutes.

Kon was absolutely elite in his role last year, and the analytics models loved him. I think Kevin Pelton's model had him #2.

Got it, that makes sense. thanks

[basketballRob]

Kon is a taller, thicker Devin Booker to me. The way both move and score so similar is uncanny.

Kon is a 1/2 taller than Booker, but Booker has a couple inches higher standing reach and wingspan.

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[penquin11]

you a fanboy?

Are you saying his efforts aren't helping us compete in these games? He has been our best player- he is a solid defender and makes the offense flow better with his movement alone. He is an elite scorer- he is among the best at pull-up shots in the league while currently shooting 50/40/90. His shooting has actually improved as his useage has increased as well. Against the Bucks he kept us in the game and had us tied with 21 seconds left. Kon will be a key ingredient to any success we have as a team in the future.

[Duke4life831]

i'm a Euro and don't follow college ball at all, so I had no idea who Knueppl was

here's my question, how come that dude wasn't a superstar in college?
he's such a good shooter, with perfect form, really smart player that knows basketball. how come he didn't dominate in college?

1. He played on a stacked Duke team with the consensus #1 pick.
2. Nobody puts up huge numbers in college unless they play for a weak program. It's a slower paced game and they only play 40 minutes.

Kon was absolutely elite in his role last year, and the analytics models loved him. I think Kevin Pelton's model had him #2.

Also just to add to this. Cooper got hurt about 10 minutes into the ACC tournament. Kon carried the team and averaged 21ppg and won the tournament MVP.

Kon was a beast in college. Was flirting with 50/40/90 for the majority of the season. And ya Duke was stacked and it was a team that all bought into a team first style. Flagg was the only guy that averaged over 10 shots per game and he was only at 13.

You can see how Kon, Flagg (and even Sion for the Hornets) all still try to play. Very team friendly, like to keep the ball moving and not have it get stuck in their hands. Its why Duke's offense had a historic season last year.

[FarBeyondDriven]

you a fanboy?

Are you saying his efforts aren't helping us compete in these games? He has been our best player- he is a solid defender and makes the offense flow better with his movement alone. He is an elite scorer- he is among the best at pull-up shots in the league while currently shooting 50/40/90. His shooting has actually improved as his useage has increased as well. Against the Bucks he kept us in the game and had us tied with 21 seconds left. Kon will be a key ingredient to any success we have as a team in the future.

I'm saying, he's playing well and putting up counting stats while on a bad team that is losing and his poor defense is part of the reason they're losing. Both can be true. Much of his and other players who put up stats on bad teams around the league do so because someone has to. I mean, there's like 52 possessions a game. Someone is going to score on the losing team. No matter how bad that team is it will have the 2-3 guys that get all the shots and they'll end up scoring since even the worst team in the league is putting up 110 points a game in this joke era.

Teams that know they're beating the Hornets don't care as much about leaving guys wide open. If you're getting high usage and shooting so much you're bound to put up numbers against bad teams or against good teams due to defensive indifference. Notice how nobody is making threads about MPJ and the numbers he's putting up on the Nets? Wonder why? It's because he went from the #3 sometimes #4 or #5 on a playoff team with championship aspirations to a doormat Nets team and his usage exploded. He has the ball in his hands and can take as many shots as he wants. Do you honestly think opponents are taking the Nets and Hornets seriously night in and night out beyond doing the bare minimum to take care of business? Opponents don't care if MJP is putting up 24/7/3 on 18 FGA a game in losses while he's playing bad defense anymore than they care that Kon is putting up 19/6/3 on 14 FGA or anymore than they do about Harden putting up 28/6/8 on the Clippers.

He's currently the deserving ROY front-runner and I'm in agreement with that. I'm not "hating". I just don't want people crowning him above and beyond that because so much of it is just usage and being on a bad team. That could very well change tomorrow and they could go on a 10 game winning streak beating good teams with Kon putting up similar numbers. And if that occurs I'll be impressed and there won't be any caveats. But until that happens suggesting he's going to be a 50/40/90 player on a playoff team, beat Steph's records, ignoring or flat out lying about his bad defense, etc is just doing too much.

But I've said my peace, I hope he's all the things you want and need him to be. The Hornets fans that have stuck with that franchise through all this certainly deserve it. So I won't be chiming in further to play devil's advocate about Kon to spoil your fun.

[Trey24]

you a fanboy?

Are you saying his efforts aren't helping us compete in these games? He has been our best player- he is a solid defender and makes the offense flow better with his movement alone. He is an elite scorer- he is among the best at pull-up shots in the league while currently shooting 50/40/90. His shooting has actually improved as his useage has increased as well. Against the Bucks he kept us in the game and had us tied with 21 seconds left. Kon will be a key ingredient to any success we have as a team in the future.

I'm saying, he's playing well and putting up counting stats while on a bad team that is losing and his poor defense is part of the reason they're losing. Both can be true. Much of his and other players who put up stats on bad teams around the league do so because someone has to. I mean, there's like 52 possessions a game. Someone is going to score on the losing team. No matter how bad that team is it will have the 2-3 guys that get all the shots and they'll end up scoring since even the worst team in the league is putting up 110 points a game in this joke era.

Teams that know they're beating the Hornets don't care as much about leaving guys wide open. If you're getting high usage and shooting so much you're bound to put up numbers against bad teams or against good teams due to defensive indifference. Notice how nobody is making threads about MPJ and the numbers he's putting up on the Nets? Wonder why? It's because he went from the #3 sometimes #4 or #5 on a playoff team with championship aspirations to a doormat Nets team and his usage exploded. He has the ball in his hands and can take as many shots as he wants. Do you honestly think opponents are taking the Nets and Hornets seriously night in and night out beyond doing the bare minimum to take care of business? Opponents don't care if MJP is putting up 24/7/3 on 18 FGA a game in losses while he's playing bad defense anymore than they care that Kon is putting up 19/6/3 on 14 FGA or anymore than they do about Harden putting up 28/6/8 on the Clippers.

He's currently the deserving ROY front-runner and I'm in agreement with that. I'm not "hating". I just don't want people crowning him above and beyond that because so much of it is just usage and being on a bad team. That could very well change tomorrow and they could go on a 10 game winning streak beating good teams with Kon putting up similar numbers. And if that occurs I'll be impressed and there won't be any caveats. But until that happens suggesting he's going to be a 50/40/90 player on a playoff team, beat Steph's records, ignoring or flat out lying about his bad defense, etc is just doing too much.

But I've said my peace, I hope he's all the things you want and need him to be. The Hornets fans that have stuck with that franchise through all this certainly deserve it. So I won't be chiming in further to play devil's advocate about Kon to spoil your fun.

Your argument is always "but he's on a bad team, let's see what they could do on a playoff team". So basically you have hated pretty much every rookie drafted high in the lottery ever? I still contend that you can't stand the fact Kon isn't Kispert.

Also your argument about "the Hornets get more open shots because they are bad" is a really poor one. Kon has been the focal point of every defense the Hornets have played since the first 5.

[penquin11]

I'm saying, he's playing well and putting up counting stats while on a bad team that is losing and his poor defense is part of the reason they're losing. Both can be true. Much of his and other players who put up stats on bad teams around the league do so because someone has to. I mean, there's like 52 possessions a game. Someone is going to score on the losing team. No matter how bad that team is it will have the 2-3 guys that get all the shots and they'll end up scoring since even the worst team in the league is putting up 110 points a game in this joke era.

A) Its rare that a rookie is the one who actually absorbs those touches- and its pretty telling that Kon was given that nod for the Hornets. Even when we were healthy he was extremely efficient- the fact that he has become even MORE efficient as his touches have increased is the inverse of what you would expect. Also its not like he is putting up just scores- there is a good chance he finishes his rookie season averaging 20, 4, & 4- which he would be just the 15th rookie to ever do. The guys who a part of that club aren't slackers- the only guy to do that and not have an awesome career was Tyreke Evans.

Lebron stacked stats on a **** team as a rookie, so did many of the other guys on that list. I don't think its fair to compare Kon to those guys yet, but its undeniable that the statistical production is there and he passes the eye test as a game changer. I know its easy to look at a single performance and put too much stock in it, but holy crap was he unreal against the Bucks (probably his best game as a pro so far).

Teams that know they're beating the Hornets don't care as much about leaving guys wide open. If you're getting high usage and shooting so much you're bound to put up numbers against bad teams or against good teams due to defensive indifference. Notice how nobody is making threads about MPJ and the numbers he's putting up on the Nets? Wonder why? It's because he went from the #3 sometimes #4 or #5 on a playoff team with championship aspirations to a doormat Nets team and his usage exploded. He has the ball in his hands and can take as many shots as he wants. Do you honestly think opponents are taking the Nets and Hornets seriously night in and night out beyond doing the bare minimum to take care of business? Opponents don't care if MJP is putting up 24/7/3 on 18 FGA a game in losses while he's playing bad defense anymore than they care that Kon is putting up 19/6/3 on 14 FGA or anymore than they do about Harden putting up 28/6/8 on the Clippers.

Kon works to get open- he isn't being left open and teams are keyed on him- hell dude he was drafted basically to be a pure shooter- unless you are determined to lose you need to cover him and teams know that. His off-ball game is just unreal though, the way he works screens (and sets them) allows him to get open. He isn't afraid to take defenders off the bounce and drive to the basket. Really though it all comes down to the efficiency with which he scores.

He's currently the deserving ROY front-runner and I'm in agreement with that. I'm not "hating". I just don't want people crowning him above and beyond that because so much of it is just usage and being on a bad team. That could very well change tomorrow and they could go on a 10 game winning streak beating good teams with Kon putting up similar numbers. And if that occurs I'll be impressed and there won't be any caveats. But until that happens suggesting he's going to be a 50/40/90 player on a playoff team, beat Steph's records, ignoring or flat out lying about his bad defense, etc is just doing too much.

As for defense it's our entire team- our best defensive starter this season has been Lamelo Ball with a 119.1 defensive rating (horrific)- Kon was a plus defender in college and while I think his athleticism will limit him to being a decent defender at best in the NBA- I dont think his defensive struggles are a larger contribution to our struggles than literally anyone on our team. I dont think Kon is a bad defender- I think the Hornets are bad at defending period as we dont have a single even average defender across the entire lineup (some blame needs to be put on coaching). I wasn't trying to lie about it- its just hes been the 6th best rookie by defensive rating, so even being ass in the context of the league I think he has overperformed given the expectations.

But I've said my peace, I hope he's all the things you want and need him to be. The Hornets fans that have stuck with that franchise through all this certainly deserve it. So I won't be chiming in further to play devil's advocate about Kon to spoil your fun.

This is a pretty fair take- and holy crap do we need a hit. I understand that the hype surrounding him at this point is overblown, but having watched him night in and out I've got to say that I've been impressed by just how skilled he is. It's early but man there are so many things he does that remind me of Klay Thompson.

[FarBeyondDriven]

Are you saying his efforts aren't helping us compete in these games? He has been our best player- he is a solid defender and makes the offense flow better with his movement alone. He is an elite scorer- he is among the best at pull-up shots in the league while currently shooting 50/40/90. His shooting has actually improved as his useage has increased as well. Against the Bucks he kept us in the game and had us tied with 21 seconds left. Kon will be a key ingredient to any success we have as a team in the future.

I'm saying, he's playing well and putting up counting stats while on a bad team that is losing and his poor defense is part of the reason they're losing. Both can be true. Much of his and other players who put up stats on bad teams around the league do so because someone has to. I mean, there's like 52 possessions a game. Someone is going to score on the losing team. No matter how bad that team is it will have the 2-3 guys that get all the shots and they'll end up scoring since even the worst team in the league is putting up 110 points a game in this joke era.

Teams that know they're beating the Hornets don't care as much about leaving guys wide open. If you're getting high usage and shooting so much you're bound to put up numbers against bad teams or against good teams due to defensive indifference. Notice how nobody is making threads about MPJ and the numbers he's putting up on the Nets? Wonder why? It's because he went from the #3 sometimes #4 or #5 on a playoff team with championship aspirations to a doormat Nets team and his usage exploded. He has the ball in his hands and can take as many shots as he wants. Do you honestly think opponents are taking the Nets and Hornets seriously night in and night out beyond doing the bare minimum to take care of business? Opponents don't care if MJP is putting up 24/7/3 on 18 FGA a game in losses while he's playing bad defense anymore than they care that Kon is putting up 19/6/3 on 14 FGA or anymore than they do about Harden putting up 28/6/8 on the Clippers.

He's currently the deserving ROY front-runner and I'm in agreement with that. I'm not "hating". I just don't want people crowning him above and beyond that because so much of it is just usage and being on a bad team. That could very well change tomorrow and they could go on a 10 game winning streak beating good teams with Kon putting up similar numbers. And if that occurs I'll be impressed and there won't be any caveats. But until that happens suggesting he's going to be a 50/40/90 player on a playoff team, beat Steph's records, ignoring or flat out lying about his bad defense, etc is just doing too much.

But I've said my peace, I hope he's all the things you want and need him to be. The Hornets fans that have stuck with that franchise through all this certainly deserve it. So I won't be chiming in further to play devil's advocate about Kon to spoil your fun.

Your argument is always "but he's on a bad team, let's see what they could do on a playoff team". So basically you have hated pretty much every rookie drafted high in the lottery ever? I still contend that you can't stand the fact Kon isn't Kispert.

Also your argument about "the Hornets get more open shots because they are bad" is a really poor one. Kon has been the focal point of every defense the Hornets have played since the first 5.

there's the laughable "hated" take. Nobody is hating on anyone. I'm just not overly impressed by empty counting stats whether it's a rookie or a vet. The game is geared towards offense and it's never been easier to fill a stat sheet for someone with usage. What differentiates players is whether they do it while on a winning/playoff team. Then what differentiates them further is whether they do it deep in the playoffs and while winning championships. This isn't some new concept that should trigger people. No, Kon is NOT the focal point. He's mostly defended by the opposing team's worst defender like vs the Knicks who guarded him with Brunson.

I'm also not one to get super low on guys and write them off as rookies or 2nd year because they don't play while others rush to call them busts. This board loves to rush to judgment either way and tbh is almost always wrong whether it's a heavily discussed trade, FA signing or draft pick. I'm just keeping things in perspective and that shouldn't label me as a hater because I'm not pumping up certain guys who I don't think deserve it.

[FarBeyondDriven]

I'm saying, he's playing well and putting up counting stats while on a bad team that is losing and his poor defense is part of the reason they're losing. Both can be true. Much of his and other players who put up stats on bad teams around the league do so because someone has to. I mean, there's like 52 possessions a game. Someone is going to score on the losing team. No matter how bad that team is it will have the 2-3 guys that get all the shots and they'll end up scoring since even the worst team in the league is putting up 110 points a game in this joke era.

A) Its rare that a rookie is the one who actually absorbs those touches- and its pretty telling that Kon was given that nod for the Hornets. Even when we were healthy he was extremely efficient- the fact that he has become even MORE efficient as his touches have increased is the inverse of what you would expect. Also its not like he is putting up just scores- there is a good chance he finishes his rookie season averaging 20, 4, & 4- which he would be just the 15th rookie to ever do. The guys who a part of that club aren't slackers- the only guy to do that and not have an awesome career was Tyreke Evans.

he was "given that nod" because he's a) good b) both Miller and Ball have been out much of the season c) they couldn't very well hand those minutes to McNeeley given he was drafted way later d) they obviously wanted to justify why they took him so high. If Miller and Ball weren't injured Kon never would have gotten the usage he has nor will he going forward. I seriously doubt he averages that since he's not doing so now. Even if he does, if the Hornets are losing 50+ games does it matter? Does it mean much? Will it determine whether he will be able to do so on a winning team since really that's all that matters?

Lebron stacked stats on a **** team as a rookie, so did many of the other guys on that list. I don't think its fair to compare Kon to those guys yet, but its undeniable that the statistical production is there and he passes the eye test as a game changer. I know its easy to look at a single performance and put too much stock in it, but holy crap was he unreal against the Bucks (probably his best game as a pro so far).

Lebron put up almost 21/6/6, while being two years younger than Kon, could actually play defense (averaged 2.5 stocks a game) and the Cavs won 35 games (18 more games than the previous season) So far the Hornets have won LESS games with Kon than they had at the same time last season

Teams that know they're beating the Hornets don't care as much about leaving guys wide open. If you're getting high usage and shooting so much you're bound to put up numbers against bad teams or against good teams due to defensive indifference. Notice how nobody is making threads about MPJ and the numbers he's putting up on the Nets? Wonder why? It's because he went from the #3 sometimes #4 or #5 on a playoff team with championship aspirations to a doormat Nets team and his usage exploded. He has the ball in his hands and can take as many shots as he wants. Do you honestly think opponents are taking the Nets and Hornets seriously night in and night out beyond doing the bare minimum to take care of business? Opponents don't care if MJP is putting up 24/7/3 on 18 FGA a game in losses while he's playing bad defense anymore than they care that Kon is putting up 19/6/3 on 14 FGA or anymore than they do about Harden putting up 28/6/8 on the Clippers.

Kon works to get open- he isn't being left open and teams are keyed on him- hell dude he was drafted basically to be a pure shooter- unless you are determined to lose you need to cover him and teams know that. His off-ball game is just unreal though, the way he works screens (and sets them) allows him to get open. He isn't afraid to take defenders off the bounce and drive to the basket. Really though it all comes down to the efficiency with which he scores.

They're definitely not keyed on him. I completely agree about his skills off-ball. He has all the makings of a great role player on a playoff team

He's currently the deserving ROY front-runner and I'm in agreement with that. I'm not "hating". I just don't want people crowning him above and beyond that because so much of it is just usage and being on a bad team. That could very well change tomorrow and they could go on a 10 game winning streak beating good teams with Kon putting up similar numbers. And if that occurs I'll be impressed and there won't be any caveats. But until that happens suggesting he's going to be a 50/40/90 player on a playoff team, beat Steph's records, ignoring or flat out lying about his bad defense, etc is just doing too much.

As for defense it's our entire team- our best defensive starter this season has been Lamelo Ball with a 119.1 defensive rating (horrific)- Kon was a plus defender in college and while I think his athleticism will limit him to being a decent defender at best in the NBA- I dont think his defensive struggles are a larger contribution to our struggles than literally anyone on our team. I dont think Kon is a bad defender- I think the Hornets are bad at defending period as we dont have a single even average defender across the entire lineup (some blame needs to be put on coaching). I wasn't trying to lie about it- its just hes been the 6th best rookie by defensive rating, so even being ass in the context of the league I think he has overperformed given the expectations.

having watched all the games I have witnessed his inability to stay in front of guys which puts pressure on everyone else. I agree, he's not alone in that regard. He's a bad defender among even worse defenders. He looks a little heavy to me right now and I think if he was to slim down some it could improve his lateral quickness which might make him a passable defender but I can't see him every being good or less than a liability other teams will target

But I've said my peace, I hope he's all the things you want and need him to be. The Hornets fans that have stuck with that franchise through all this certainly deserve it. So I won't be chiming in further to play devil's advocate about Kon to spoil your fun.

This is a pretty fair take- and holy crap do we need a hit. I understand that the hype surrounding him at this point is overblown, but having watched him night in and out I've got to say that I've been impressed by just how skilled he is. It's early but man there are so many things he does that remind me of Klay Thompson.

that's really all I've been trying to push back on. It's the difference between people thinking he can be a #1 or #2 on a championship team and being a #3 like Klay., that I view his absolute upside as. I know Klay was the #2 on that 2015 championship team but there were a whole lot of extenuating circumstances that allowed for that i.e. Steph's gravity, defense around him, style that took the league by storm and ended traditional bigs. I mean, he had an abysmal Finals beating an injured Cavs team missing its 2nd and 3rd best players after all. Saying he has the best-case potential to be a #3 (like Klay) but likely a #4 or #5 shouldn't elicit claims of being a hater but here we are