KON KNUEPPEL BREAKS ROOKIE 3PT RECORD IN 59 GAMES

## The Numbers Don't Lie Kon Knueppel finished Thursday night with 28 points on eight three-pointers, pushing his season total to 209 made threes. The record-breaking shot came in the third quarter against Indiana with a brilliant pump fake before calmly sinking his 207th three-pointer of the season. Knueppel needed just 59 games to break Keegan Murray's record of 206, accomplished in 80 games during the 2022-23 season. This is not about volume shooting. Knueppel is averaging 19.4 points per game while shooting 44.2% from three-point range and 89.3% from the free-throw line. He's on pace to become the first rookie in NBA history to join the 50/40/90 shooters' club. ## The Efficiency Argument It took 44 years after the adoption of the 3-point shot for an NBA rookie to break 200 made threes. Knueppel reached that milestone in just 58 games, beating Duncan Robinson's previous record by 11 games. He has thrived as a catch-and-shoot player with 93% of his threes coming off assists. Stephen Curry made 166 threes on 43.7% shooting as a rookie in 80 games. Damian Lillard hit 185 in his debut season. The current rookie leaderboard shows Knueppel at 209, Murray at 206, Donovan Mitchell at 187, and Lillard at 185. The gap between first and third place is now 22 made threes. [AJ DYBANTSA PLAYS ALL 40 MINUTES IN BYU UPSET WIN](/article/aj-dybantsa-plays-all-40-minutes-in-byu-upset-win-13eb80d2-a2ae-45d0-b89e-f9e3890f8b54) showed what rookie excellence looks like in college. Knueppel is redefining it at the professional level. ## The Rookie Race Shift Cooper Flagg has fallen to second place on the NBA's Kia Rookie Ladder, with Knueppel reclaiming the top spot. Flagg is dealing with a midfoot sprain that has forced him to miss four straight games. His Rookie of the Year odds have dropped from -650 at the All-Star break to -300 now. Knueppel's odds have improved to +220 on DraftKings, while Flagg sits at -300. Availability is becoming the tiebreaker. Flagg has already missed nine games this season, and extended absence could swing the award. ## The Counter Case Flagg still holds statistical advantages, averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 48.2% field goal shooting. Their head-to-head matchup on January 29 was electric: Knueppel scored 34 points on 8-for-12 three-point shooting, while Flagg countered with 49 points on 20-of-29 shooting. Both players have legitimate cases. ## The Prediction With 22 games remaining on Charlotte's schedule, Knueppel has room to extend his record significantly. The Hornets are in playoff contention for the first time since 2015-16, giving Knueppel a winning narrative to pair with his historic shooting. If Flagg's midfoot injury keeps him out for the remaining 25 games, as similar injuries have done to other players, the Rookie of the Year race is over. Knueppel will finish with both the record and the hardware.