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Yahoo Sports’ Draft Live crew reacts to the Charlotte Hornets’ selection of Duke wing Kon Knueppel with the 4th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Fourth overall pick in the NBA draft is Con Kipple, the Duke guard, the shooter.
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Some called it Vinny called it, but King, I’ll start with you because I know you’re big on this guy.
Can go on to the Hornets.
I, I love it and we talk about drafting for fit.
Well, I think right there this was a fit pick because I, I, I do, uh, fit pick, what am I saying.
But, but I do think that something else.
I do think he fits perfectly with this Charlotte team.
You look at Lamelo, you look at Brandon Miller.
Honestly, I think that Conaka Nipple coming into this situation might be the most mature basketball player out of those three, because when you look at his game, he plays a very mature style of basketball.
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He can shoot it, he can space the floor, he can get open.
He can move well without the basketball, but he’s also not just the shooter.
This young man can make plays.
Look at what he did when Cooper Flag was out.
His ability to be able to get into the paint, come off a ball screen, play in the two-man action, hit the skip pass, hit the wide open man off the pick and roll.
His reads were tremendous and it wasn’t just one game.
It was time and time again.
His work was was heavy amongst the whole season.
So I think that this is a really good fit for Charlotte, and I think that you low key get a little bit more mature.
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I mean, look, that game you’re talking about, Cooper flag goes out, it’s heartbreaking against Georgia Tech in the ACCCC tournament.
Kipple stepped up big time.
Season high 14 pick and rolls run in that game, throw lobs to Malo watch, as you said, finishing at the rim, getting into the paint.
That’s the thing.
You can’t be deceived by Con Kanipple’s Wisconsin farmer boy looks.
He shot 62% at the rim this past season at Duke.
He’s a great 2-foot finisher.
I interviewed him recently at the draft combine.
He talked about the need for improving as a 1 ft finisher because he wants to be even more dynamic in the NBA, so he’s not just a shooter, he’s a playmaker, he’s a bucket getter.
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From 3, honestly, the one flaw with him is shooting off the dribble.
That’s the thing with him with Kipple, and he, I, I was interesting talking to him.
I said to him, You shot over 40% from 3.
You’re a knock down guy off the catch, knocked down guy off of movement, but off the drib but off the dribble, he shot only 23s at Duke, wasn’t a part of his high school game either, and he’s like, yeah, that’s like the number one thing I gotta get better at is shooting threes and shooting pull up mid rangers off the dribble and I know that’s what he’s been working at this entire offseason.
And boy, in Charlotte next to Lamelo Ball, a lot of shots are gonna be created for him, but he can create for Lamelo too.
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Yes, here’s my thing, Brandon Miller hurt last year.
Lamelo Ball hurt last year.
Grant Williams hurt last year.
Mark Williams had a trade rescinding last year.
Would they be healthy?
And with that, I asked, I asked both of you guys, if you’re the Charlotte Hornets and you’ve won 19 games and you are generally regarded as an unserious franchise.
Is he a low ceiling guy?
Do you, do you take, do you take a big swing at, at 5 just because that’s where you are, excuse me, at 4, because that’s where you are and you can’t afford to take a safe pick with the roster that you have.
Well, I, I think that Because they’re deemed done serious and because they’re still in this continuously put in the same scenario year after year, I think they had to switch it up and they did something different.
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I think a typical Charlotte move is to go get Ace Bailey.
I, I think a typical Charlotte move might be to go get Trey Johnson, a guy who might fit and might not, but I think that this year they switched up a little bit.
And did something that is quote unquote deemed safe.
Is Khan Kanipple a star in the NBA?
No, but is he a hell of a good player that is going to play a lot of years and be redeemed as regarded as one of the best shooters, one of the best, uh, role players in the league.
It could be that one day, 110%.
So I think it’s safe.
