What do you expect from the No. 4 and the No. 34 overall picks in an NBA draft in their rookie seasons?
From the No. 4 pick, one may expect about 15 points per game on decent efficiency while trying to find his role on the team. From the No. 34 pick, you would expect them only to play garbage time minutes.
However, these expectations are far too low for the rookies Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner of the Charlotte Hornets.
Knueppel Has Taken Over in Queen City
Knueppel is maintaining the spotlight on the court, outscoring stars and vets.
The Charlotte guard averages more points than Evan Mobley, CJ McCollum, Scottie Barnes, Desmond Bane, Chet Holmgren, DeMar DeRozan, and Bam Adebayo. He also leads in points per game amongst other rookies.
On a team full of young, promising guards, Knueppel has managed to find his role. He’s been so impressive that Charlotte now sees him as the future face of the franchise over the third-overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, LaMelo Ball. He’s earned the trust of the front office and NBA legend Reggie Miller.
https://twitter.com/dpshow/status/1993394257701343626
The Hornet guard has stepped up in the eyes of Charlotte, taking over the city and the team.
Kalkbrenner Dominates Rookies
The 7-foot-1 center out of Creighton University has displayed his promising talents to the league. The No. 34 pick in last year’s draft has surpassed expectations by first outplaying his opponents in the Summer League.
After Summer League, fans of the association knew that Kalkbrenner’s hype was somewhat real. Heading into the NBA season, people speculated the rookie would be at least serviceable for a couple of years. After all, how much value could a second-round draft pick bring to a team?
Throughout 26 games, the former Creighton center averages 25.6 minutes, 8.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game on a whopping 78.7 field goal percentage.
The Charlotte prodigy has been putting up numbers that no other rookies have touched.
https://twitter.com/TheLeadSM/status/2000712766710046921?s=20
Ryan Kalkbrenner is still in his developmental phase as a rookie. Cracking the starting lineup is a big step for it being his first year. With an impressive start to the season, the Hornets should look into keeping him around for the future.
Conclusion
The Hornets front office hit when they drafted Ryan Kalkbrenner and Kon Knueppel.
Knueppel is the leader in points per game amongst all other rookies currently. He also has had the most impact on his team compared to other rookies, as he currently leads the Rookie of the Year race.
The second-round draft pick Kalkbrenner has also been dominating the stats among rookies, putting up a league-leading field goal percentage, and is the rookie leader in rebounding and shot blocking.
https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/2002107839616028725
Now Hornets fans will wait and see what is next for Charlotte’s two newest and brightest players.
Leave a comment