GAMENOTES: Summer League Game #4 Charlotte Hornets (3-0) vs. San Antonio Spurs (3-0) - July 17th, 2025

Kon did Bird things, PJ Hall did Nique things and the Hornets are going to the playoffs

FINAL

Charlotte Hornets 106 (4-0) - San Antonio Spurs 81 (3-1)

THE BOXSCORE

WHY DID THEY WIN? (AND OTHER IMPORTANT STORIES)

• The Charlotte Hornets are going to the summer league playoffs for the first time in franchise history because they understood the assignment, win and win by a lot to get in, and attacked it…HARD. The Hornets showed decent offensive flow and aggressiveness in the early parts of the first half including a one-handed thunder yam by PJ Hall, but it was the back half of the 2nd quarter where the Hornets turned the temperature up on defense. They had multiple deflections in single possessions. They were constantly jumping passing lanes, refusing to be screened, back cut or blown by. It was incredible to watch and it led to lots of open space for KJ Simpson and Kon Knueppel to play-make (6 assists a piece) and for Damian Baugh to knock down 4 triples and 7 oof 10 shots from the field for 18 points off the bench. The Hornets let the rope go a little bit at the end of the game as they tried to protect a 21 point play-off clinching but Chris Jent continued a great coaching job by calling a timeout and getting everyone on the same page for the final stretch.

• The Hornets played hard. They cared. They wanted to win. Nothing was taken for granted. Everything mattered. Someone tell Paul George the Hornets are building a culture.

• Kon Knueppel (19 points (7-13 3-8), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) looked like he deserved to be the 4th pick and started the long journey to earning a 2nd or 3rd pick in a future re-draft.

  • He had a command of the opposing defense with the ball in his hand, recognizing their adjustments the instant they happen and exposing the trade offs. Sometimes that meant he was whipping a pass into the corner, or lofting one to the outstretched arms of Ryan Kalkbrenner and sometimes it meant he was pulling up from multiple locations on the court to knock down shots.

  • There isn’t much he seems to be incapable of doing with the ball in his hands.

  • On defense he was giving max effort and working hard to keep ball handlers in front of him and diagnosing telegraphed passes for multiple deflections and steals.

  • He showcased an IQ and comfort level that left me feeling he’s too good for Summer League. That was anything but a given after his debut which was obviously a blip. He flashed some special Bird-like passing behind his own head (link below) that even makes you think, “wait a minute…could he be a STAR?!” Let’s not get ahead of ourselves for now. Kon is real and that’s a low bar that many before him have not been able to clear. He’ll have his next tough test as he enters camp and preseason. If he keeps checking boxes I think there’s a chance he enters this season as a better passer and ball handler than year 2 Brandon Miller.

• Damian Baugh and PJ Hall are having an all out war for the final Hornets 2 way spot (the other two reserved for Drew Peterson and KJ Simpson). PJ Hall was a force at the rim on both ends finishing with 4 blocks and two rim rocking jams that really left you no choice but to open your eyes to the idea of Hall making the team. His “stretch big” translation to this level remains mythic but he’s been a factor.

• KJ Simpson is waving the consistency flag. 19 points on 6 of 11 shooting, 6 assists and 5 rebounds (eerily similar to Kon’s numbers). He’s playing hard in every quarter of every game and has become the de-facto leader of the team as they look to win a Summer League championship.

• If you’ll allow me this moment, it’s been a LONG couple of years (decades)….WE’RE GOING THE PLAYOFFS BABY!!!! Okay, thank you.

NEWS AND NOTES

• No Dylan Harper for this one, he was shut down for the rest of summer league as a cruel joke to Hornets fans.

  • But my boo Carter Bryant is in the game

  • We got some shots of Dylan Harper sitting with his teammates and he looks so massive next to them. I don’t even mean height, they were all sitting, I mean just thickness of chest, head, neck. Dude is a monster.

• Sion James (L hip soreness), Liam McNeeley (R achilles tendinopathy) and Tidjane Salaun (R achilles tendinopathy) were ruled out pregame

  • FYI: tendinopathy is basically pain or stiffness in the tendon. Rest is the solution. Playing on it risks a tear or rupture. No reason to take the chance in Vegas.

  • Twitter user brings up a good point. With a rash of achilles injuries taking down major stars will we see teams take achilles soreness/stiffness more seriously

  • Can’t help think of what could have been for Liam McNeeley. We’ll most likely have to wait for preseason to see him make his case again.

• Starters: KJ, MJ, Kon, Jaylen, Kalkbrenner

• Kon mic’d up in this game. Something tells me he won’t be the star that Liam McNeeley was on the mic.

  • I don’t think Kon said much because I don’t recall this segment ever airing lol.

THINGS I THINK I SAW

• 1st Quarter

  • 8:37 - Simpson 3 in the corner off the break. This is setup by Kon moving the ball up quick.

  • KJ and Sims NICE TRAP on the ball. Turnover and Jaylen draws the foul on the drive.

  • WONDERFUL drive by Kon who gets it up to Kalkbrenner for the yak

    • Announcer says the Hornets are in rebuild mode. I think that’s too strong. I prefer to think of the Hornets as less in “rebuild mode” and more “the shell is up and we’re waiting on the dry wall guy

  • 1:58 - 4 Deflections by 4 different players on this possession!

  • Carter Bryant lighting up the Hornets and me personally from the 3 point line.

    • Came in 1-12 from the line. He’s in midseason “play the Hornets” form

  • KON ANSWER!!! Stepback triple.

  • :50 - Nice tough nasty rebound by PJ HALL. Skies for it too.

  • HALL NO! PJ Hall SWATS it off the help rotation

• 2nd Quarter

  • 8:54 - Kon CALLS HIS OWN SHOT. Raising a hand to call for the back cut. He’s hit in stride on target for a quick layup. Love.

  • 7:54 - PJ HALL DETONATION. HOLY HALL OF JUSTICE. ONE HANDED HAMMER.

    • He dunked it so hard the net looks traumatized

    • Call him the Apostle Hall cause he’s out there baptizing folks

  • Kon doing a great job of keeping guys in front of him on defense. Just sound movement without a lot of waste or indecision

  • 5:45 - Kon jams up his left hand. He’s looking at his finger.

    • Checks out of the game

  • Rodman REALLY struggling out there

  • 3:00 - PHEW Kon comes back in. Hand appears fan. Kon gets out into the open floor, draws the defense down before kicking to the trail man on the wing for 3 more. His vision is great.

  • Kon ANOTHER kickout assist to DB. Hornets crushing.

  • BAUGH OFF THE WINDOW TRIPLE from the deepest part of the wing. 18 point run and the Hornets smell like champions.

  • Damion going BAUGH-FF on the Spurs right now. 21-0 run.

  • The scoreboard has the Hornets vs. Spurs logos on it but this has turned into Baugh vs. Hall for the final Hornets 2 way spot.

• 3rd Quarter

  • Oh good, we’re now in a double box. It’s like watching your game, only smaller.

    • THIS IS WHY YOU AIR IT ON MULTIPLE CHANNELS!!

  • 6:40 - Kon instantly recognizes the blitz as it happens and hits Kalkbrenner right off the roll.

  • The defense from every single Hornets players has been rabid this entire half. Absolutely devilish.

  • Pretty obvious they knew the stakes and the point differential rules

  • 5:22 - Jaylen Sims, doing a little too much

  • 3:00 - Kon Knueppel catches in the corner, quickly gets his feet set and bangs home the triple. This is the most “thing he’ll do in year one” that he’s done all Summer League.

  • 1:40 - REVERSE OVERHEAD HAMMER PASS FROM KON to PJ Hall for two. Like…that’s special stuff. Star flashes. Wowza. That wasn’t some random BS.

  • Carter Bryant had some moments for the Spurs but this was a complete dismantling by the Hornets led by their defensive disruption and offensive hustle/unselfishness. Amazing stuff from Jent’s Gents.

    • 5 players in double figures led by Kon with 17.

• 4th Quarter

  • KJ Simpson with dirt on his jersey…in BASKETBALL

  • Another beautiful feed to the corner by Kon over the top of the defense.

  • Kalkbrenner has had much more command of the paint in this game. Feels like he was challenged to play harder, faster and more physical

  • Knueppel soft touch turnaround jumper. There doesn’t appear to be too many things he can’t do with the ball in his hands.

  • The Hornets making the classic mistake of trying to burn clock to preserve the differential which means they are playing out of flow and not generating good looks. SAS takes advantage.

  • PJ Hall absolutely wrecking Diallo out there, the far bigger but fundamentally less sound of the two

  • Hornets win by 21+ which means they have clinched a spot in the Vegas postseason!