Klay continues to slump, and the rookie who looks most like Klay is playing hotly

Klay Thompson has not had an easy time since the start of the new season. In six games, he averaged 8.7 points, 3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, shooting 33.3% from the field and 29.4% from the three-point range. All statistics have reached the lowest point in his career.

Although fans are accustomed to Klay's slow start, Klay's slump this time seems to be a bit too "low". After losing yesterday, Klay, who was able to regain some touch by shooting 3 of 7 three-pointers, expressed his anger by slapping the water bottle away in the tunnel.

Klay's hand feels cold. At the same time, I think the rookie who is most like Klay among the 25th rookie is playing hotly. He is Duke shooter Kang Knipper selected by the Hornets with the fourth overall pick.

Selecting a white shooter with such a high pick, the Hornets' choice at the time was questioned by many people. After all, Knipel was only in the top ten at the time and rarely made the top five. The reputation of white shooters has also become less friendly in the league in recent years due to the performance of Joe Harris, Bertans, Kispert and others.

But Kniper's performance since being selected by the Hornets has completely proved that he is absolutely worthy of this pick. The first is the summer league. He averaged 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 41% from the field and 34.3% from three-point range, leading the Hornets to win the championship in one fell swoop.

In my impression, this should be the Hornets' first serious championship in so many years. This team has never won an NBA championship, conference championship, division championship, or even a summer league championship since its establishment. Knipel won the FMVP with his outstanding performance and also entered the second team of the Summer League All-NBA Team.

In the regular season, Knipel's performance in the first four games has reached a higher level. He hit 16 three-pointers in the first four games of his career, setting an NBA historical record. His three-point shooting rate in the first four games was as high as 53.3%, with both productivity and efficiency online.

So I think that in the first round of rookie rankings, Knipel averaged 16 points per game and only ranked sixth in both fields with a shooting percentage of more than 50%. It is definitely low. In the following losses to the Magic and Timberwolves, Knipel shot 2 of 12 three-pointers in the two games, hitting the rookie wall.

However, Knipel adjusted quickly. Yesterday he shot 1 of 8 three-pointers. In today's victory over the Jazz, he made 9 of 17 shots and 4 of 9 three-pointers, scoring a career-high 24 points. After seven games so far, Knipel has averaged 3.1 three-pointers per game, and his three-point shooting percentage has remained at 43.1%, which is even better than his shooting performance in college.

In his freshman season at Duke, Knipel shot 40.6% from three-point range, averaging 5.3 attempts per game and hitting 2.2 three-pointers. His catch-and-shoot three-point shooting rate is as high as 48.9%, and his two corner three-point shooting rate is as high as 46.2%. He is a very stable and excellent marksman, otherwise he would not always be among the top ten in mock drafts.

If you only regard Knipel as a three-point shooter, you are wrong. His shooting percentage at the basket is also as high as 57.5%. After entering the NBA, he also shot 50% at the basket. It can be said that his ability in the NCAA has been completely transferred to the NBA, and has even improved.

He is not a pure catch-and-shoot shooter. He could also play pick-and-roll in college with a very low turnover rate. As a shooter, he has very good spatial awareness and can also make some open passes.

Of course, Knipper is the kind of player who is unlikely to become a star. His physical talent has become the biggest obstacle restricting his upper limit. He is 1.96 meters tall and has a wingspan of only 1.98 meters. His defensive dynamic and static talents are average, but fortunately his enthusiasm is there. The Hornets trusted Knipel very much and made him the starter from the beginning. He also provided the Hornets with quite good fire support.

The Hornets' two rookies this year both started as starters. If Knipel, as the fourth pick, deserves to start, then center Kalkbrenner, the No. 34 pick, can start the game because of his excellent basic skills.

Kalkbrenner was originally the Lakers' interested center option, but the Hornets intercepted Hu early, and he was initially compared with Yang Hansen for a while. Kalkbrenner played five seasons in college and was 23 years old at the time of the draft, just five months younger than Three Balls.

He gives the impression of a very unpretentious blue-collar center. His job on the court is to eat cakes, grab rebounds and protect the frame. Of the 37 shots he has taken in seven games so far in his career, only one was from the corner free throw line. His overall shooting rate reached an astonishing 30-for-37 shooting rate, which was as high as 81%.

Even though he shot 1 of 3 today, he still ranked first in the league in field goal percentage, 10 percentage points higher than second-place Kessler (70.3%). Unpretentious but highly effective, that's why Kalkbrenner quickly took over the starting line-up.

In fact, Kalkbrenner had the most terrifying single-game performance in college among this rookie class. In 2024, he scored 49 points on 20-for-22 shooting in a game. Although he doesn't have much potential anymore, he has plenty of game experience on both offense and defense. He can play immediately and contribute to the team. As a second-round pick, it is enough.

The two rookies selected by the Hornets this year have very good vision. Together with Brandon Miller, the second pick who performed well in 2023, if the three goals can stay healthy, maybe the Hornets can bring some surprises to the fans this season.