In Duke’s exhibition game against Lincoln University, the Blue Devils’ talented freshman, Kon Knueppel, had a productive debut that seemed to answer a number of questions raised about him.
There are still glaring questions about his all-around game, but the upcoming season should address these fairly quickly. This matchup was obviously not against a high level of competition, but Duke dominated nearly every aspect of the game on their way to a 107-to-56 victory. Regardless of the opponent, Knueppel showed what could make him a very interesting prospect ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, and this article will dive into the aspects of his game that stood out.
Knueppel finished his high school career as the No. 19 recruit according to the ESPN Top 100 and joined other incoming freshmen like Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans and Khaman Maluach on a star-studded Duke roster. Leading up to the start of this season, Knueppel is widely considered one of the better shooters in this class but was commonly undervalued as an athlete and defender. Despite preseason exhibitions not painting a perfectly clear picture of what the season will bring, this game showed flashes of how he stands out and he could become if given time.
His primary skill is his outside shooting, and this looked as good as advertised during his debut. He shot 6-for-11 from the field and 5-of-9 from deep on his way to 17 points in 25 minutes of action. The form and mechanics looked great on his catch-and-shoot attempts, despite a slight dip when given time along the perimeter. This should be fixable throughout the season and even into his rookie year, but it did jump out as a concern early on. Knueppel moved well off-ball and quickly got his feet set prior to his attempts; this also allowed him to drive-and-kick when closeouts reached him in time, resulting in three assists. While he may not ever become an on-ball creator, his feel for the game should allow to him excel off-ball.
Regarding concerns about his athleticism, he rarely stood out in the open court but made quick bursts of speed in the halfcourt to disrupt on the defensive side and keep the ball moving on offense. He was able to show some vertical pop while catching a pass on a cut and elevating for a big dunk over a defender who met him at the rim. Duke seems to already be tight systematically on both ends, which helps Knueppel fit into his role more easily, as help is never too far away. His athleticism will still need to improve, but being at Duke with a great developmental staff should allow him to continue making strides in the right direction and show his potential to NBA teams.
His overall game on the defensive end still stands out as his biggest question mark ahead of the season, regardless of the flashes shown. While he did a great job closing off driving lanes and quickly closing out to his man along the perimeter, he did get off balance and struggled to stay with his man off the dribble at times. His lack of elite footspeed seems to be the primary issue, but he is undeniably a smart player and rotates well. It would be surprising if he ever became a lockdown defender, but he should be serviceable on defense when fitting into a scheme and fulfilling his role.
Knueppel still has a long way to go before solidifying himself as a first-round talent, but he seems to be comfortable in his role and is an extremely hard worker. If he continues to embrace and expand on his potential as a knockdown shooter, he could make noise throughout the season and wind up as a long-term role player at the bare minimum.
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