Duke made it to the Final Four this past season, led by three projected top ten picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. One of the team’s most important players was sharpshooting wing Kon Knueppel, who shot over 40% from behind the arc this past season.
Let’s dive into his strengths and areas of improvement.
The most NBA-ready skill for Knueppel is his elite shooting ability. His shooting touch is amazing and he has great shot preparation. The footwork is excellent to go along with sharp shot mechanics. The 6-foot-6 wing possesses a ton of shot versatility. He can excel as a spot-up shooter or provide elite movement shooting. There is no question that Knueppel is a top-three shooter in this year’s draft, and he has a very valid case to be considered the top overall 3-point shooter.
What makes Knueppel different from other sharpshooting wings is that he has true playmaking chops to go along with a good handle. The Duke wing can create for teammates as he has an amazing feel for the game, good court vision and plays with great pace. When operating as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, he consistently makes good plays with the ball and is capable of making any read or pass that comes his way. Knueppel has great control with the ball in his hands and can serve as a secondary ball-handler and playmaker in the NBA.
Despite not being the most explosive athlete, Knueppel is a good finisher at the rim. He often plays off of two feet and does great with his pivots and utilizes the pump fake well. The sharpshooting wing is good at drawing fouls and getting himself to the free-throw line, where he shot 91% in his only season at Duke. He weighs about 220 pounds and has good upper body strength, which allows him to finish through contact pretty consistently. Knueppel is certainly more than just a sharpshooting wing.
The biggest area of improvement for Knueppel is on the defensive end. He lacks ideal lateral quickness and foot speed, which severely limits his ability to stay in front of quicker ball-handlers. He doesn’t have great athletic tools and isn’t really an NBA-level athlete, so he will have to consistently rely on his high basketball IQ and smarts on the defensive end, as he won’t have the athletic tools to bail him out if he makes a mistake.
Some questions about his shot-making and scoring translation to the NBA. This past season at Duke, he shot 25% on all pull-ups. He already struggles to consistently create against NBA-level defenders due to a lack of burst and speed, so that, combined with his pull-up shooting struggles, draws some concerns. At the very least, he will be a high-level sharpshooter off the ball, but if the on the ball skills don’t translate to the NBA, then he isn’t much different than any other sharpshooter in the NBA.
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