The Golden State Warriors are rapidly nearing the end of Stephen Curry's career. I'm sure it's hard to hear this in every single piece written about the Warriors, but it's the painful reality the organization exists in currently.
Every single thought the front office has must be devoted to this reality over the next year and a half.
Yet the discourse at a league-wide level will focus primarily, how it always does, on Curry's legacy. What is his place in all-time rankings? What is his place among the best players in the game today?
Among these will almost certainly be the one question that truly can't be answered. Who is the next Stephen Curry?
The answer, frankly, is no one. Curry is singular, an enigma. But one youngster, as Max Kellerman points out on the recent episode of his Game Over podcast, is making a compelling case to be the league's next great shooter: Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets.
Kon Knueppel's rapid ascension is both a promising and a frightful thought for Warriors fans
Coming into the year, it was widely expected that Cooper Flagg would quickly emerge as the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Instead, injury and a slow start in a bogged-down Dallas Mavericks offense have hurt his case. Knueppel, his teammate at Duke, has graciously taken the mantle onto his own shoulders.
He's been excellent virtually from the first tip of his NBA career. Through 62 games this season, he's averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while sinking 43.6% of his attempts from 3-point range. He's been a massive part of the Hornets' recent turnaround, and he looks to be the piece that will complete what they've been building since they drafted LaMelo Ball in 2020.
Kellerman, on his podcast, claimed that Knueppel is the best outside shooter in the league currently apart from Curry. That's exceedingly high praise for a rookie.
But perhaps it's deserved. Kneuppel does not lead the league in 3-point percentage, even if you confine the data-set to those who are averaging seven or more 3-point attempts per game. But he broke the rookie record for made 3-pointers in just 59 games. He's had an absolutely ridiculous season.
Statistically, he stacks up well against Curry's rookie season. In 2009-10, Curry averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while knocking down 43.7% of his 3-point attempts. But the similarities don't stop there.
While he's got significantly more size than Curry, Knueppel is almost as active an off-ball mover, constantly churning through the defense in search of his next catch-and-shoot opportunity. If he can continue to hone this skill, perhaps we're looking at the league's next elite perimeter shooter.
On one hand, it would be exciting for the league to have another player who emulates Curry's skill-set once he retires. On the other, having "another" Curry in the league should be highly frightening for any team who doesn't have in under contract.
Maybe Knueppel can approach Curry's level at some point. Maybe he can't. But the fact that these comparisons are already starting is a positive sign for the trajectory of his career.