A couple of former Duke Blue Devils standouts, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, were recently compared by Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s tenured teammate, Bobby Portis. On Tuesday, Nov. 25, Portis appeared on the “Run It Back” show, hosted by former NBA player Lou Williams, who asked the Bucks center which rookie has impressed him in the 2025-26 NBA season.
While he did mention the first overall pick, Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, to acknowledge his great play, Portis said he is more impressed with Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel. Both Flagg and Knueppel have had great first-year campaigns thus far in the league, but Portis believes the latter may be surpassing the former at the moment.
“ It’s kind of easy to always say Cooper Flagg, right? But in my opinion, man, just Kon Knueppel, bro. Kon Knueppel, man. Like he wows you, man. He wows you on the court. Look at him sometimes, like, look at him just like as a, you know what I’m saying? You probably wouldn’t even think he hooped if you didn’t know that he played for the Hornets, you know what I’m saying?,” Portis shared. (0:03)
“And then when he get on the court, he just wows you with his touching the paint, getting to the paint, making extra passes, sprinting back out to the three-point line,” he added.
Portis is in his 12th year in the league, whereas Flagg and Knueppel are in their first. Portis was a key cog in Milwaukee’s 2021 NBA championship run as a frontcourt player. So far, the Bucks have an 8-10 overall record while the Mavericks and the Hornets are both down in the West and East, respectively, with 5-13 and 4-13 records.
Read More: ‘Gonna Miss These Guys’ – Duke Bids Farewell to Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, and Kon Knueppel Ahead of NBA Draft
Bobby Portis Shares His First-Hand Experience Of What It’s Like Guarding Kon Knueppel
In the same interview, Bobby Portis shared his experience of defending Kon Knueppel. He mentioned the recent NBA Cup group-stage game the Milwaukee Bucks had against Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets.
For Portis, Knueppel’s off-ball movement is what makes him the most effective on offense.
“You know, sometimes when guys drive the ball, they just driving and kicking and then they just stand. He gets back out to the three-point line, makes himself back available for an open shot. He gave us like 32 points, you know what I’m saying? So, he was hooping bro, and it was a cup game too. It was a much important, much needed win for us to try to get back to Vegas. So, it was a great night. And, he from Milwaukee too,” he said. (0:36)
Also Read: WATCH: 2025 NBA Draft Prospects Reveal Which Skill They’d Steal From a Teammate Including Cooper Flagg
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