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NBA rumors: Will Kon Knueppel be a top-5 pick in NBA Draft?
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- NBA rumors: Will Kon Knueppel be a top-5 pick in NBA Draft?
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The post NBA rumors: Will Kon Knueppel be a top-5 pick in NBA Draft? appeared first on ClutchPoints .
While the NBA Finals are right on the horizon, talks around the NBA Draft are beginning to heat up. Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper still seem to be the consensus top two picks, but there is plenty of movement happening behind them with players such as Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe , Tre Johnson and Kon Knueppel .
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Bailey and Edgecombe have long been thought top be top five picks, but Knueppel is shooting up draft boards as the draft gets closer and closer due to his elite offensive skillset.
As the calendar gets ready to turn to June, Knueppel has the potential to be a top five pick when the draft rolls around, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
"On the heels of a remarkably efficient freshman season, Knueppel is receiving long looks in the top five of this draft, with his excellent shooting and overall readiness to contribute offensively creating a strong selling point for front offices," Givony wrote. " Philadelphia , Charlotte and Utah all represent potential landing spots and would benefit from plugging him in right away."
The Duke star is currently ranked No. 10 on ClutchPoints' latest big board and is going No. 7 to the New Orleans Pelicans in ClutchPoints' NBA Mock Draft 2.o.
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Knueppel still has to complete athletic testing after an injury forced him to skip all of that at the NBA Draft Combine in February. Considering that he doesn't project to be very strong on that front, those final results could end up hitting his stock just a little bit. His ankle injury could also cause his stock to drop a bit, according to Brett Siegel.
"Some who spoke with ClutchPoints from the combine are weary of Knueppel's stock falling slightly due to concerns about his ankle," Siegel reported recently.
However, his athleticism isn't what caused his stock to be so high in the first place.
Knueppel is a big guard who can essentially do it all on the offensive end. He is an elite shooter and will be a scary off-ball asset as a result, but he showed during his time with the Blue Devils that he can also be an offensive engine for a team as a secondary ball handler.
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The Milwaukee native has a big body and has a great feel for space in the lane, using his frame to create space for himself and get shots off. He has good touch around the basket and showed improvement as a passer this season, so any team looking for some juice on the perimeter will be interested in Knueppel.
