Although the Miami Heat’s season ended in a heartbreaking 127-126 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets in Tuesday’s play-in game, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra took a moment to praise Hornets rookie phenom Kon Knueppel.
Erik Spoelstra Defends Kon Knueppel After Rough Postseason Debut
The win-or-go-home play-in clash was defined by a second-quarter no-call controversy when Bam Adebayo became tangled with Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, resulting in Adebayo crashing to the hardwood and sustaining a game-ending lower back injury.
Without Adebayo, the Heat went into overtime, but a game-winning layup by Ball in the dying seconds dashed Miami’s hopes.
While Ball was the hero for Charlotte, his rookie teammate, Knueppel, had a forgettable night. The No. 4 pick looked completely out of place in the high-pressure showdown, finishing with 6 points and 5 rebounds on 2-for-12 shooting from the floor.
Despite going 0-for-6 from beyond the arc, Knueppel received backing from Spoelstra postgame, who remarked, “He’s the Rookie of the Year in my mind.”
For the Heat coach, rather than a one-off postseason box score, Knueppel’s regular-season body of work seemed to matter more for his ROTY case.
Knueppel finished the regular season averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from deep, and 86.3% from the free-throw line. The 20-year-old also became the first rookie in NBA history to lead the entire league in total 3-pointers made, finishing with 273.
Entering the play-in, Knueppel had a 66% probability to clinch Rookie of the Year honors. However, logging a game-worst minus-20 plus-minus in 34 minutes against the Heat sparked debate, with Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg’s name resurfacing.
Flagg was a defensive terror and an offensive focal point throughout the regular season, averaging a stellar 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game for the rebuilding Mavericks.
For Knueppel, however, individual accolades mattered less. Just days before his rough play-in debut, the Hornets rookie was asked about his ROTY candidacy.
Downplaying the award chatter, Knueppel said, “That’s what I care about … how am I impacting my teammates? Am I making things easier for them? Am I helping our team win games? That’s where my focus goes. If everybody’s focused on that, we’ll have a good team.”
Seeking their first playoff berth since 2016, the Hornets will face the loser of Wednesday’s Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic play-in game for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
