From trade rumors swirling around LaMelo Ball to a disappointing loss against an injury-depleted Pacers squad, it’s been a turbulent week for the Charlotte Hornets. And amid the chaos, rookie guard Kon Knueppel has emerged as one of the team’s few bright spots. His rise has been so impressive that he may have now surpassed his former college teammate in the Rookie of the Year race!

“No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg entered the season expected to win the league’s top rookie honor in a runaway, but the Dallas phenom’s biggest challenger could be his former Duke teammate. Knueppel, behind a rookie class-leading 18.3 points per contest and his 40% clip from 3, has already impressed scouts with his shooting stroke and feel for the game,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps wrote in his recent article .

The former

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