Charlotte Hornets Select Kon Knueppel With The 4th Overall Pick

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00:00At the fourth overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft, the pick is in the Charlotte Hornets select

00:06Conn Canipple out of Duke. J.Y., one of the things that stood out to me about Conn Canipple during

00:12his playing days in Durham, started and played in all 39 games for the Blue Devils, that matching

00:17a school record for a freshman there for this illustrious and prestigious program in the lore

00:24of college basketball. And if you remember the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech,

00:28his postseason play began when Cooper Flagg suffered the scary injury to end out the opening

00:33half and did not play the remainder of the time in Charlotte, Conn's new home in the NBA.

00:39Who stepped up? It was Conn Canipple to earn ACC tournament player of that tournament, the MOP,

00:46if you will. How do you believe Conn Canipple's game translates to the association?

00:51He's a sniper and he can shoot it. In an NBA, if you can knock down threes at a high clip

00:57and come off of screens, meaning just not be a standstill, catch a three-point shooter,

01:03I think his game translates extremely well to the next level.

01:07Now, it's all about how LaMelo Ball is going to be used and Brandon Miller is going to be used

01:14because those are two guys that I think can create their own shot.

01:18Now, will LaMelo Ball be willing to sacrifice points and not want to get 23, 24, 25 points a game?

01:26Could he get himself in the 18-point-a-game range where he gets you about 9 or 10 assists?

01:32Because now what you have in Charlotte is you have a plethora of guys that can shoot and knock down shots.

01:38So now a guy like LaMelo, you get up onto him, you drive it.

01:42Now is the kickoff opportunity for a guy like Conn Canipple.

01:46His game translates very well because he can shoot that ball.

01:4984 made threes as we shared during 2024-25, the fifth most ever for the Duke Blue Devils by a freshman.

01:57Kev, a little bit rude if I do say, of both the Hornets and Conn Canipple himself

02:02for interrupting the praises that you are heaping on both the prospect and the franchise with this selection.

02:08How did you like what Charlotte did here with the philosophy behind that fourth overall pick?

02:13The audacity to cross the stage mid-breakdown.

02:17Conn Canipple is the best shooter of any player you'll see selected in the lottery.

02:24And I think one of the draws to Conn Canipple, it's rare you see this be true with a fourth overall pick, Tom,

02:30but it's that he does not need the basketball every possession when they have two guys in Miller and LaMelo

02:36who project to be way more ball dominant.

02:39Way more ball dominant, but he's that missing piece.

02:41He's the puzzle piece that I think the Hornets need now.

02:44The defense from him is going to be a question, especially moving laterally.

02:49Guys at this speed are going to be, I think, he's going to be a liability for them on defense.

02:53He's got good positional size, I'll tell you, man.

02:55So he can guard multiple positions and increasing the quickness, I think, is something that will come with time.

03:01But that will develop as the team develops overall.

03:03How he fits into the offense, as Coach was alluding to, I think LaMelo does need to take that step back.

03:08And take that step back in terms of just pure scoring, but still play the Tyrese Halliburton role.

03:12He is the engine of the offense, and things will revolve around him, thus making Brandon Miller and Conn Canipple better.