On Friday, former Duke Blue Devils standout Kon Knueppel made his NBA Summer League debut with the Charlotte Hornets, but it wasn’t very noteworthy. Knueppel only managed five points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field against the Utah Jazz, unable to establish his offensive rhythm. He handed the ball over four times and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Additionally, Knueppel received a sort of “Welcome to the NBA” moment when Kyle Filipowski, a fellow Duke product, denied his layup attempt. Knueppel could not escape Filipowski’s grasp even with his left hand.
In contrast to Knueppel, Filipowski had an outstanding performance, finishing with six rebounds, five assists, and 32 points on 12-for-17 shooting. However, Knueppel and the Hornets still had the final laugh after defeating the Jazz 111-105 at the Thomas & Mack Centre in Las Vegas. Liam McNeeley, a former UConn Huskies player, led Charlotte with 22 points off the bench and 12 rebounds, making him another rookie who excelled for the Hornets.
Knueppel and Filipowski were never teammates at Duke, despite the fact that they both recently played for the Blue Devils. Before joining the NBA in 2024, Filipowski played at Duke from the 2022–2023 season to the 2023–2024 campaign. In contrast, Knueppel only spent one season (2024–25) with the Blue Devils before the Hornets selected him fourth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Hornets’ next game is this Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers at the same location.
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