For a two-round mock draft and a big board with full scouting reports, check out my NBA Draft Guide.
Kon Knueppel, G/F, Duke
Height: 6-5 • Weight: 219 • Class: Freshman • Age: 19
Summary: Knueppel brings more than just a sharpshooter’s stroke thanks to his brainy pick-and-roll playmaking and crafty scoring feel. He’s got a slick midrange bag and strength scoring inside, but to become a player that takes over games he’ll need to overcome his average athleticism.
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Comparisons: Cam Johnson, Bojan Bogdanović
Strengths
Spot-up shooting: Knueppel is deadly from a standstill and off movement thanks to his pure stroke with deep range and a quick release.
Spatial awareness: Savvy mover without the ball, understands spacing, and generally makes all the right plays.
Playmaking: Capable of running pick-and-rolls, though at this stage his passing is best suited in transition and when attacking within the flow of the offense. Such as when he curls off a screen, takes two dribbles into the paint, then tosses a lob to his rolling big.
Interior scoring: Knueppel isn’t an above-the-rim, at-rim finisher, but has crafty footwork inside the paint and uses his big frame to carve out space for layups and floaters. If he can’t get inside, he looks comfortable pulling up or fading away in the midrange.
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Positional defense: With his combination of size, effort and awareness, he was a competent defender at the college level. He should be in time at the NBA level too, though he needs to improve his quickness.
Concerns
Athleticism: Lacks elite burst and verticality, making it tough to imagine him becoming a primary creator or an elite at-rim finisher.
On-ball defense: Moves too slowly laterally. Offenses will target him early in his career, and until he’s able to improve his quickness and his strength.
Shooting off the dribble: He made only 14.3% of his 21 shots off the dribble from 3. It’s not a shot he took a lot in high school either.
For a two-round mock draft and a big board with full scouting reports, check out my NBA Draft Guide.
