Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel has been very productive in the NBA so far, and the Rookie of the Year trophy could end up with him at season's end.

The Charlotte Hornets are 4-9 and showing no evidence of being a playoff team now or in the immediate future, despite having a young core of players that, on paper, looks like a potential nucleus of a future contender.

Against the Lakers, he recorded 19 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, reaching an historic milestone for the former Duke star. Knueppel became the first player in NBA history to total 150-plus points and 30-plus three-pointers in the first 10 games of his career, according to NBA Stats.

Rookie’s career-high 32 points came in his hometown on night Charlotte’s star point guard returned after missing five games with ankle injury

Norman Powell scores 25 points as the Miami Heat defeat the Charlotte Hornets 126-108 in an NBA Cup game on Friday night

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/hornets/onsi as Former NBA Champion Pat Connaughton has found himself a role in Charlotte. "When we made the trade for Pat, I talked to him and I said, 'You're probably not making the team."

Still, Ball’s NBA career has been a success, as he signed a five-year, $203.85 million designated rookie contract extension in 2023 after the Hornets drafted him No. 3 overall in 2020, per Spotrac. The California native also has post-basketball ambitions, which The Athletic’s John Krawczynski revealed on “The Zach Lowe Show.”