The LaMelo Ball era in Charlotte has been filled with mediocrity and unfortunate injury luck. Ball was able to will the Hornets to the Play-In Tournament in 2021 and 2022, but the young star wants more, and this season is crucial to keeping him happy and engaged on the Hornets.
Ball is an electrifying talent, and the lack of postseason success or even appearances fires up the trade machine year after year from outside observers. If Ball can never win in Charlotte, what's the point of holding onto this valuable asset?
That's the outside noise. Inside that Charlotte Hornets building, the vibes are different this season because of their offseason additions. The Hornets will rarely make splashpad free agency moves, so they tend to build from the draft. Charlotte knocked it out of the park in the 2025 draft and may have the perfect running mate for Ball in their hyperefficient sharpshooter, Kon Knueppel.
Kon Knueppel makes history and makes LaMelo Ball's life easier
It's no surprise Knueppel is setting rims on fire, as he was projected to enter the league as a dynamic shooter. It turns out he's been more than dynamic, he's been historic. Through their first seven career games, no one has made more triples than the 2025 4th overall pick.
Kon Knueppel has knocked down 22 triples through his first seven career games!
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) November 3, 2025
It's the most through a player's first 7 career games in NBA history 🤯 https://t.co/3LQ1kPdYFi pic.twitter.com/W6qkw6pB63
The NBA is different in today's landscape with the uptick in 3-point rate, but it's very impressive that Knueppel hasn't missed a beat transitioning to the pros.
His ability to catch-and-shoot and make decisive decisions with the ball bodes well for his budding chemistry with LaMelo Ball. Ball is a true artist with the Wilson in his hands. He's as unpredictable as they come, and a lot of time spent on the ball comes with his artsy playing style. Knueppel is perfectly suited to play alongside that type of archetype.
Per DataBallr, Knueppel is only on the ball for 8.8 percent of the time he's on the floor. That's an astronomically low number, and most elite movement shooters fall somewhere in that range. Malik Beasley was the best movement shooter last year and ironically had the exact same on-ball percentage as Knueppel has through his first seven games.
The ability to thrive off the ball is essential when playing next to LaMelo. He's unslefish and consistently finds the open man despite having the ball 37.2 percent of the time. Players who can knock down open shots off the advantages Ball creates will always fit next to him.
It would be a crime not to mention Brandon Miller, as he was once the guy drafted to be Ball's running mate. He does fit next to Ball, but the degree of how much is still in the air.
The book isn't fully written on Miller. He's a fearless shottaker who can play without the ball some, but not as much as Knueppel. He's been out to start the season with a left shoulder subluxation, and that's opened the door for Knueppel to display how portable his regardless of who's playing.
Knueppel is slowly proving he can be impactful with or without Ball feeding him open jumpers. Ball was out with an ankle injury against the Utah Jazz, and Knueppel had no issues turning up the heat from deep. He finished with 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four made 3s.
That type of impactful production is a factor in the Hornets rolling offensively. Charlotte hasn't had an offense ranked in the top 25 since 2022. That's brutal.
It's early, but their offense is number eight today per Cleaning the Glass. An unselfish shooter who can thrive in any role only aids Ball and the Hornets' offense.
Should Knueppel's steady play continue, maybe the Hornets are competent enough to remain steadfast on LaMelo being their guy. Ball's play was never the main issue; he needed NBA players around him and injury luck.
He's shown he can get semi-decent results when he's healthy and playing with a competent roster. Knueppel is more than competent, and Hornets fans should be thrilled that Ball may have his running mate of the future.