A promising regular season ended with a disappointing postseason thud for Kon Knueppel. The Charlotte Hornets got run off the floor by the Orlando Magic on Friday, with their prized No. 4 overall pick disappearing when it mattered the most.
Two Play-In games, 17 combined points, and 1 made three.
Without wasting a minute, the NBA world reacted to the Duke product, questioning his ability to win the Rookie of the Year trophy.
NBA Fans Pile on Kon Knueppel After Play-In Tournament Collapse
Charlotte got eliminated 121-90 by the Orlando Magic, with Knueppel finishing the game with 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and going 1-of-6 from deep.
Across the two Play-In games he’s played so far, Knueppel shot 5-of-22 from the field and 1-of-12 from the three-point line.
Social media wasn’t going to miss the moment, with people questioning whether the ROY trophy should just go to somebody else. Cooper Flagg’s name came up, and so did the label “Kon Man.”
NBA’s parody account NBA Centel wrote, “Kon Knueppel ROOKIE OF THE YEAR” with a screenshot of his box score, showing -26 along with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist.
The sarcastic caption was definitely not subtle.
Kon Knueppel
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/omGCEXD4MH
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) April 18, 2026
Popular X handle NBA Memes went straight at it, suggesting the league should hand Flagg the ROTY trophy already. The Mavericks’ phenom has been locked in a season-long race with Knueppel for the award.
Kon Knueppel with the Hornets’ playoff contention on the line 🔥
Just give Cooper the ROTY already 😤 pic.twitter.com/2xmJYVyBCy
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) April 18, 2026
Hoop Central lined up the numbers side by side. Knueppel’s final two games read 6 points (2-of-12, 0-of-6 from three) and 11 points (3-of-10, 1-of-6 from three).
Underwhelming for the 20-year-old who just led the league in made threes.
Kon Knueppel’s last two games to end the season:
6 PTS — 2/12 FGM — 0/6 3PM
11 PTS — 3/10 FGM — 1/6 3PM pic.twitter.com/W9JkNxJgwF— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 18, 2026
Hater Report ran the whole Play-In tally: 17 points, 5-of-22, 1-of-12 from deep, all with a photo of Logan Paul wearing a Knueppel jersey. The tagline: “KON MAN.”
Kon Knueppel in the Play-In Tournament
2 Games
17 TOTAL POINTS
5/22 FG
1/12 3PKON MAN pic.twitter.com/zqjlZKOjqp
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) April 18, 2026
FanDuel Sportsbook’s official X handle dropped the final dagger. The account published a list of players who made more threes than Knueppel in the Play-In Tournament.
Andre Drummond was on it. So was Kristaps Porzingis.
Dozens of players who suited up this week knocked down more threes than the NBA’s regular-season three-point leader.
Players that made more 3-pointers than Kon Knueppel in the NBA Play-In Tournament:
Andrew Wiggins
Kel’El Ware
Davion Mitchell
Tyler Herro
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Miles Bridges
Brandon Miller
LaMelo Ball
Coby White
Sion James
Toumani Camara
Deni Avdija
-… pic.twitter.com/D1k0ZC9oOo— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) April 18, 2026
Knueppel’s drop-off here is the biggest story. He wrapped up the regular season with 273 made three-pointers, becoming the first rookie in NBA history to lead the league in the category.
Knueppel did all of that with an 18.5-point average, along with 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while shooting 47.5% from the field.
Then the lights got too bright.
Knueppel was benched in the crunch time of Tuesday’s overtime win over the Miami Heat. His impact was negligible on Friday against Orlando, as the Magic built a massive first-half lead and held on to clinch a playoff berth.
The Hornets finished 44-38, missing the playoffs for the 10th straight time.
Meanwhile, Orlando moves on and will now face the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs, with Game 1 set to tip off on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
