The NBA draft is right around the corner and Sportsvival is here to go over the top prospects who will hear their names called.
Today we scout:
SG/SF- Kon Knueppel
Duke University
6’7” 217 lbs
Kon Knueppel was born on August 3, 2005 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended Wisconsin Lutheran High School and averaged 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game as a freshman.
As a junior, Knueppel saw a rise in his production, averaging 19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. During his senior campaign, Knueppel had a breakout season, averaging 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, on his way to being named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball.
Knueppel was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals and a four-star recruit by ESPN. Eventually he would commit to Duke over offers from Alabama, Virginia, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Marquette, and USC among others.
In his lone season at Duke, Knueppel played in 39 games and averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest. At the end of the season he announced he was entering the NBA Draft.
What does the tape say? :
Positives
High basketball IQ, Knueppel does the little things that create big plays for himself and his teammates
Quick shot, he is able to catch and shoot accurately and with a lightning quick release
Deep shooting ability. Can shoot from anywhere on the court.
Good at drawing fouls and is a 90+ % foul shooter
Excellent ball handling skills, work the pick and roll masterfully
Weaknesses
Defense needs work, can be faked off his feet and lacks the makeup speed once beaten.
Athleticism is not top-notch and he may struggle at first to adjust to the speed of the NBA
Can get lazy on the defensive end and does not contest shooters from time to time.
Can lack patience at times and take a bad shot early in the shot clock.
Sportsvival’s Final Thoughts:
The biggest question with Kon Knueppel is– can his basketball IQ make up for his lack of high-end athleticism and struggles on defense? He has the shooting ability and basketball smarts to be a top five pick, but he may need a bit more time to adjust to the NBA over other top end prospects.
Knueppel reminds Sportsvival of Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen. Both are underwhelming athletic wise, but make up for it with basketball smarts and a solid outside stroke.
(photo courtesy of Yahoo Sports)