It’s a bit early for this but what the hey.
As we’ve heard all summer, Kon Knueppel’s Duke teammates are highly impressed and speculation about his draft prospects are rising. It’s kind of pointless to talk about any of this before he sees a single college game but let’s go there anyway.
Here’s a profile from an SI site dedicated to analyzing draft prospects. Some excerpts:
“A natural scorer and secondary playmaker, Knueppel [is] able to create advantages for himself with the ball in his hands...His natural feel on the offensive end is impressive for a player of his age, with processing speed that allows him to manipulate opposing defenses.
“...[H]e’s most known for being a sniper from beyond the arc with perfect shooting mechanics that are very repeatable in all shot situations...He’s patient and generally takes good shots, which makes him an efficient scorer...Knueppel also has the ability to leverage his size and strength in the paint...Knueppel’s lack of lateral quickness is sometimes an issue when defending on the perimeter. He can hold his own against bigger wings and even forwards...but quicker players give Knueppel trouble when guarding in space.”
Interestingly, his teammates have said that his athleticism exceeds their expectations.
Whatever the truth is, it’s apparent that he’s going to play and probably a lot.
