Knueppel totaled 34 points (10-16 FG, 8-12 3Pt, 6-6 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal in 36 minutes during Thursday's 123-121 win over the Mavericks.
Cooper Flagg remains the best rookie in this year's class, but Knueppel has been better than advertised and has emerged as a key player for the Hornets already. This 34-point output was Knueppel's highest-scoring output of his career, and the eight three-pointers were also a career-best mark. Knueppel is averaging 18.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.8 three-pointers made per game since the beginning of January while making 42.3 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc over that stretch.