A scouting report on NBA draft prospect Kon Knueppel:
- Position: Wing
- Height: 6-foot-5 (without shoes)
- Weight: 219 pounds
- College: Duke
Strengths
Knueppel is an undeniably great shooter. He has an excellent base, always aligns his shoulders toward the rim and makes open jumpers look quite easy.
The 19-year-old shot 40.6 percent from three-point range in his one Duke season and hit 117 of 128 free throws (91.4 percent). He averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
Knueppel’s passing is a significant plus. He thrived with center Khaman Maluach in the pick-and-roll, spotted open teammates on the weak side, and dished the ball with nice touch and timing. And, while it’s impossible to quantify, Knueppel seems to possess a strong blend of correctly anticipating what defenses will do and reading the action as it unfolds.
Knueppel has decent size for an NBA shooting guard and he’s savvy about shielding off defenders, playing through contact and drawing fouls.
Though he won’t soar over defenders, Knueppel is good off of two feet in the mid-range and paint. He uses subtle fakes, changes of pace and sharp footwork.
Jeff Hornacek might not be a bad old-school player comparison for Knueppel as a sharpshooting, below-the-rim two-guard with useful passing and ball handling chops. In an era with far fewer three-point attempts, Hornacek shot 40.3 percent beyond the arc over his NBA career and averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
Weaknesses
Knueppel does not have a “turn on the jets” option.
He’s widely viewed as subpar in the athleticism department for a top NBA prospect. Knueppel rarely beats his man through quickness or leaping ability.
He was a sound, competitive defensive player at Duke, but NBA offenses hunt mismatches, especially in the playoffs, and Knueppel will need to show that he’s not a weak link.
For what it’s worth, Knueppel’s athletic testing results at the draft combine were a mixed bag. His 31.5-inch standing vertical leap was surprisingly higher than VJ Edgecombe’s. His lane agility time of 11.92 seconds was the worst among perimeter players.
Fit
As long as he’s passable defensively, Knueppel’s game should be broadly appealing. He’s a fantastic shooter and also not a mere specialist.
Most of the Sixers’ stats from the injury-stuffed 2024-25 season mean little, but we’ll note that the team’s 34.1 three-point shooting percentage ranked 27th in the NBA. Knueppel would presumably help there and be a smooth overall fit offensively. Defensively, we imagine Sixers head coach Nick Nurse would approve of Knueppel’s effort while still asking him to prove he can hold his own as a professional.
On a lighter note, Knueppel already knows all about Brotherly Love. He has four younger brothers — Kager, Kinston, Kash and Kid.
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