Rookie Kon Knueppel Leads Class in Scoring; Pelicans Drop First Game Under Borrego; Nets Push Michael Porter Jr. to Cut More
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hornets guard Kon Knueppel has moved to the front of the Rookie of the Year race, averaging 17.2 points and a rookie-best 41 three-pointers through Saturday.
Head coach Charles Lee is opening games with set plays designed for the former Duke standout. “He comes in every day with a seriousness and an obsession to get better,” Lee said. “He’s so stable. Doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low.”
The 22-year-old underscored that approach Friday in Milwaukee, scoring a career-high 32 points and forcing overtime with a late jumper in his hometown. He cooled off in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City, yet Thunder coach Mark Daigneault still praised Knueppel’s “shooting gravity” and screening game.
LaMelo Ball returned Friday after missing five games with a right ankle impingement, then sat out Saturday as Charlotte eases him back.
Pelicans fall in Borrego’s debut
NEW ORLEANS — A coaching change did not halt the Pelicans’ slide. New Orleans lost its fifth straight Sunday, 130-123 to Golden State, in the club’s first outing under James Borrego, promoted after Willie Green was dismissed Saturday. The Pelicans are 2-11 and host 13-1 Oklahoma City on Monday.
Borrego inserted rookie center Derik Queen into the starting lineup; the first-round pick finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in 24 minutes. New Orleans committed 20 turnovers that became 27 Warriors points. “We have to find the balance between playing fast and playing with poise,” Borrego said.
League chatter indicated Green’s exit had been anticipated. According to HoopsHype, guard Jordan Poole was displeased after losing his starting spot in late October, forward Trey Murphy III believed Green’s messaging had grown stale, and some inside the organization felt Green did not hold Zion Williamson sufficiently accountable.
Nets want Porter Jr. moving, not dribbling
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez is emphasizing off-ball movement for forward Michael Porter Jr., who responded with 34 points, nine rebounds and seven assists Sunday in a victory over Washington. It marked Porter’s second consecutive seven-assist performance.
“We want him cutting, not dancing, not over-dribbling,” Fernandez said. “When he does that, everybody benefits, including him.”
Porter, still adapting to Brooklyn’s schemes, noted that centers Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe are rewarding his movement. “People assumed it was just Nikola Jokic in Denver, but it’s something I’m intentional about,” he said. “They found me for a lot of easy points.”
Source: Hoops Wire
