Kon

Knueppel

While the report says the Hornets have not signaled they’re looking to move on from Ball, that has not kept some teams from taking the initiative to see if they can get something done. According to both Charania and NBA insider Marc Stein, Minnesota and Toronto are the teams in question. Having struggled with injuries in recent years, Ball appeared in 72 games last season and was one of the reasons why the Hornets landed in the Play-In tournament. He averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.8 three-pointers per game, shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 89.9 percent from the foul line. If Ball is moved, it would be a clear sign that Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the Hornets’ cornerstones.

Flagg, Knueppel, and Edgecombe all received 100 first-place votes, with Harper’s 93 votes not far behind. Cedric Coward’s 29 first-place votes were the least of the first-teamers. Meanwhile, Derik Queen, Maxime Raynaud, Jeremiah Fears, Ace Bailey, and Colin Murray-Boyles were named to the All-Rookie Second team.

Before Friday, Knueppel went nearly three weeks without consecutive 20-point games. He and the other Hornets did much of what they wanted to offensively, shooting 24-of-49 from beyond the arc. Knueppel was responsible for three made threes, moving to 7-of-16 over his last two games. It’s safe to say that he’s snapped out of the two-game mini-slump in which he shot 1-of-9 from beyond the arc.

After shooting a combined 4-of-19 from beyond the arc in his previous three games, Knueppel had a better night against the Suns. In addition to making four of his nine three-point attempts, the rookie wing is up to 35 games with at least 20 points. At a minimum, Knueppel is one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year, along with college teammate Cooper Flagg. And given his role in the Hornets’ success, it would be unsurprising if many voters viewed Knueppel as the clear leader going into the final week of the regular season.

Knueppel and the Hornets have won their last five games, all by double digits. The Rookie of the Year candidate shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc against the Knicks and finished two assists shy of his first career triple-double. Knueppel’s production throughout the season has been a great development for fantasy managers and the Hornets, both for this season and the future. The Hornets end their week on Sunday against the Celtics.

Knueppel was initially listed as probable, and he has now officially been cleared to suit up. He was limited to just nine points in Saturday’s win over the Grizzlies, and he’ll look to get back on track in this one.

While included on the Hornets’ injury report due to a sore lower back, Knueppel’s probable tag suggests that he’ll ultimately play. If he doesn’t play, Coby White and Josh Green are likely to absorb the minutes that would normally go to the Rookie of the Year candidate.

Knueppel has scored 20 points or more in four of his last six appearances, including a solid effort against the Spurs on Saturday. Since the All-Star break, the rookie guard has been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats. The Hornets play three games in Week 21, starting with the Heat on Tuesday.

Having shot 9-of-20 from the field in his prior two games, Knueppel cleaned up his shooting in Wednesday’s victory. The rookie knocked down five of his eight three-point attempts and was perfect at the foul line. Since the All-Star break, Knueppel has averaged nearly 21 points per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field. He’s been right there with Cooper Flagg in the race for Rookie of the Year, and some would argue that Knueppel should be the favorite.

One game removed from dropping 27 points in a loss to the Heat, Knueppel was limited to 15 on Sunday. One subpar performance doesn’t erase the overall body of work, and the rookie remains one of the best first-year players in fantasy basketball. Knueppel will look to rebound when the Hornets visit the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, the first of three games they’ll play in Week 20.