WEBVTT - Mac & Bone Show - Kon Knueppel Interview 

0:00:00.090 --> 0:00:02.150
<v Speaker 1>Welcome back, everybody. This is the Mack and Bone Show,

0:00:02.190 --> 0:00:06.990
<v Speaker 1>Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ. Mack and Bone now joined by

0:00:07.010 --> 0:00:10.140
<v Speaker 1>a slightly bigger name in this Charlotte sports landscape. I

0:00:10.180 --> 0:00:12.520
<v Speaker 1>do believe he is the man that should have been

0:00:12.560 --> 0:00:14.920
<v Speaker 1>a dang rookie year last year in the NBA. He

0:00:15.140 --> 0:00:18.680
<v Speaker 1>is Conn Knipple of your Charlotte Hornets. Conn, what's up, man?

0:00:18.720 --> 0:00:19.220
<v Speaker 1>How you doing?

0:00:19.560 --> 0:00:21.000
<v Speaker 2>Hey, guys. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

0:00:21.500 --> 0:00:23.239
<v Speaker 1>So how are you feeling? Let's get that question out

0:00:23.260 --> 0:00:26.290
<v Speaker 1>of the way. Fans did not like hearing You and Grant,

0:00:26.489 --> 0:00:30.170
<v Speaker 1>both hamstring injuries. How are you feeling, man? I'm sure

0:00:30.190 --> 0:00:32.190
<v Speaker 1>that has to bum you out this time of year

0:00:32.210 --> 0:00:33.250
<v Speaker 1>when you're ready to get after it.

0:00:33.610 --> 0:00:36.150
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, a little bit of unfortunate timing. You know,

0:00:36.190 --> 0:00:40.110
<v Speaker 2>it's better than a little bit later or during the season. But, yeah,

0:00:40.210 --> 0:00:44.410
<v Speaker 2>I mean, I'm feeling pretty good, progressing every day. You know,

0:00:44.450 --> 0:00:47.370
<v Speaker 2>I feel like I'm in a really good spot. You know,

0:00:47.409 --> 0:00:49.690
<v Speaker 2>it happened, you know, a couple weeks ago now, so

0:00:49.890 --> 0:00:50.590
<v Speaker 2>I've gotten.

0:00:50.350 --> 0:00:50.740
<v Speaker 1>Ahead of it.

0:00:50.750 --> 0:00:54.490
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and it just happened actually up here, both of

0:00:54.550 --> 0:00:58.670
<v Speaker 2>us on the same day, Just pulled them. I was

0:00:58.690 --> 0:01:01.330
<v Speaker 2>just going full speed. Got a defensive rebound. I was

0:01:01.370 --> 0:01:03.830
<v Speaker 2>trying to go coast to coast and just felt the

0:01:03.950 --> 0:01:08.670
<v Speaker 2>pull on me. I've been doing good. Attacking the rehab.

0:01:08.690 --> 0:01:12.760
<v Speaker 2>We've been doing a great job. We'll reevaluate here probably

0:01:12.980 --> 0:01:13.839
<v Speaker 2>right when the season starts.

0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:16.060
<v Speaker 3>As you get ready for season number two, what did

0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:18.440
<v Speaker 3>you work on most in the offseason on your game?

0:01:18.600 --> 0:01:21.179
<v Speaker 3>What's the next step in your process?

0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:25.710
<v Speaker 2>I think This summer was big just for overall game growth,

0:01:26.209 --> 0:01:28.350
<v Speaker 2>but this summer we worked a lot on offhand finishing,

0:01:28.790 --> 0:01:31.490
<v Speaker 2>just getting better with my left hand around the basket.

0:01:31.730 --> 0:01:34.010
<v Speaker 2>That'll make it easier when I'm in the lane and

0:01:34.430 --> 0:01:37.289
<v Speaker 2>I can go to both hands pretty easily. And then

0:01:37.310 --> 0:01:43.000
<v Speaker 2>just a lot of secondary playmaking, ball screen stuff, ball handling.

0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:46.380
<v Speaker 2>It was a big summer for all those areas, and

0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:49.940
<v Speaker 2>I'm glad you don't want to get injured, but it

0:01:49.980 --> 0:01:52.310
<v Speaker 2>was good to have the whole summer you know, really

0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:55.290
<v Speaker 2>up until a couple of weeks ago before, before getting injured.

0:01:55.310 --> 0:01:57.110
<v Speaker 2>So I didn't miss, you know, a whole ton of time.

0:01:57.450 --> 0:01:59.750
<v Speaker 1>When you're working out in the off season, how many

0:01:59.850 --> 0:02:03.450
<v Speaker 1>shots are you putting up average day in the off season?

0:02:03.980 --> 0:02:05.640
<v Speaker 2>You know, not as many as I used to, like,

0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:09.150
<v Speaker 2>if you think about like those workouts, I mean, what I,

0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:11.120
<v Speaker 2>what I just mentioned, like a lot of it wasn't

0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:12.800
<v Speaker 2>like there was days when we'd get a bunch of

0:02:12.820 --> 0:02:15.860
<v Speaker 2>shots up, but you know, that, those are like you

0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:17.320
<v Speaker 2>know you're shooting a lot of layups you're going against

0:02:17.360 --> 0:02:19.520
<v Speaker 2>live defense so it's just a little bit tougher in

0:02:19.540 --> 0:02:21.460
<v Speaker 2>like a different way you know maybe not as many

0:02:21.540 --> 0:02:24.840
<v Speaker 2>reps but you're going game speed um so yeah i'd

0:02:24.870 --> 0:02:26.760
<v Speaker 2>say like the total shots was down i don't know

0:02:26.820 --> 0:02:28.090
<v Speaker 2>we probably have it up on the.

0:02:28.490 --> 0:02:30.190
<v Speaker 1>Oh i was wondering what those numbers are oh we

0:02:30.210 --> 0:02:32.030
<v Speaker 1>can see your shots oh okay i'll just wait for

0:02:32.050 --> 0:02:32.710
<v Speaker 1>that to come back.

0:02:32.610 --> 0:02:37.310
<v Speaker 2>Around yeah yeah so that's in the last week so

0:02:37.330 --> 0:02:38.670
<v Speaker 2>yeah i mean we probably have numbers.

0:02:38.450 --> 0:02:41.540
<v Speaker 1>From Was that you, 851?

0:02:41.540 --> 0:02:42.840
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, 851.

0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.440
<v Speaker 1>It's firing. 947.

0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:48.540
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I'm barely shooting.

0:02:48.590 --> 0:02:51.750
<v Speaker 1>So you're working on other things. Now, when you were young,

0:02:53.070 --> 0:02:55.550
<v Speaker 1>we know your family loves hooping. You were probably a

0:02:55.630 --> 0:02:56.190
<v Speaker 1>nut about it.

0:02:56.330 --> 0:02:59.269
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it got to a point where I'd shoot and

0:02:59.310 --> 0:03:03.960
<v Speaker 2>my shoulder would be sore. You're pushing it past the limits.

0:03:03.980 --> 0:03:05.220
<v Speaker 2>But when I was in high school, yeah, I was

0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:07.120
<v Speaker 2>just getting shots up like crazy.

0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:09.460
<v Speaker 3>It seemed like you had a pretty smooth transition from

0:03:09.500 --> 0:03:12.810
<v Speaker 3>Duke to the NBA. What allowed you with your game

0:03:12.870 --> 0:03:15.550
<v Speaker 3>to have that transition? And what was the biggest difference

0:03:15.570 --> 0:03:18.090
<v Speaker 3>from college to the pros and getting used to the

0:03:18.130 --> 0:03:19.050
<v Speaker 3>whole league?

0:03:19.070 --> 0:03:19.150
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

0:03:19.230 --> 0:03:22.190
<v Speaker 2>The biggest difference is the physicality. Um, you know, players

0:03:22.230 --> 0:03:26.840
<v Speaker 2>are bigger, faster, stronger, uh, than college. Um, and you know,

0:03:26.900 --> 0:03:30.760
<v Speaker 2>it's just much harder to, you know, defend in space. Um,

0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:33.500
<v Speaker 2>it's easier to score in space and in college or in,

0:03:33.540 --> 0:03:36.820
<v Speaker 2>in the NBA, I should say. Um, But, yeah, I mean,

0:03:36.860 --> 0:03:40.400
<v Speaker 2>defending the spacing and also just the physicality, I think

0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:44.440
<v Speaker 2>what helped me with, you know, coming into the first

0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:47.920
<v Speaker 2>year was I was, like, physically prepared. Like, I got

0:03:47.960 --> 0:03:51.290
<v Speaker 2>a big, strong base and build, and, you know, I

0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:53.210
<v Speaker 2>didn't really have to worry about, you know, putting on

0:03:53.270 --> 0:03:57.370
<v Speaker 2>as much weight or strength as an issue kind of

0:03:57.390 --> 0:03:58.170
<v Speaker 2>coming into the league at first.

0:03:58.610 --> 0:04:00.950
<v Speaker 1>We're talking to Con Knipple of your Charlotte Hornets, Hornets

0:04:01.010 --> 0:04:05.250
<v Speaker 1>Media Day today, and we're out and about. Con I'm

0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:07.540
<v Speaker 1>going to ask you the question I would anticipate you

0:04:07.580 --> 0:04:09.300
<v Speaker 1>might have already been asked a bunch and you will

0:04:09.340 --> 0:04:12.020
<v Speaker 1>be asked a bunch I'm sure with Lamello gone you

0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:14.520
<v Speaker 1>can probably finish this question there's a lot of talk

0:04:14.580 --> 0:04:18.339
<v Speaker 1>about you and Brandon specifically as do they need to

0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.800
<v Speaker 1>create more on ball how are you feeling about that

0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:23.380
<v Speaker 1>do you feel like it's going to be more of

0:04:23.460 --> 0:04:26.169
<v Speaker 1>you initiating things and is that if so is that

0:04:26.190 --> 0:04:27.750
<v Speaker 1>something you're kind of excited about how do you feel

0:04:27.770 --> 0:04:28.150
<v Speaker 1>about that?

0:04:28.510 --> 0:04:31.830
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, I think definitely in that scenario. We've

0:04:31.930 --> 0:04:34.540
<v Speaker 2>talked about Hornets. It's an area that I've worked on

0:04:34.560 --> 0:04:39.380
<v Speaker 2>all summer. And it's going to be some growing pains

0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:44.100
<v Speaker 2>with that. I've done it before in my career, not

0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:49.190
<v Speaker 2>at this level. I created some last year. And so

0:04:49.490 --> 0:04:52.410
<v Speaker 2>it's just going to be a bigger sample size. And

0:04:52.430 --> 0:04:53.930
<v Speaker 2>so I'm going to have to get outside my comfort zone.

0:04:54.580 --> 0:04:57.500
<v Speaker 2>We've got a lot of guys, Brandon, Kobe, Grayson, that

0:04:57.520 --> 0:05:00.620
<v Speaker 2>can really create as well. We'll have a bunch of

0:05:00.660 --> 0:05:06.830
<v Speaker 2>different guys that can share that load. I think it's

0:05:06.890 --> 0:05:09.150
<v Speaker 2>not going to fall on all the one shoulders of

0:05:09.510 --> 0:05:12.090
<v Speaker 2>me or Brandon of what we can do, but we've

0:05:12.330 --> 0:05:14.349
<v Speaker 2>got a really deep team and a lot of guys

0:05:14.370 --> 0:05:15.930
<v Speaker 2>that are versatile and can play in a bunch of

0:05:15.950 --> 0:05:16.330
<v Speaker 2>different ways.

0:05:16.850 --> 0:05:19.570
<v Speaker 3>We were marveling at the national love that you guys

0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:22.540
<v Speaker 3>got last year, whether it be Zach Lowe or bill

0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:25.659
<v Speaker 3>simmons a deep love for the hornets last year uh

0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:27.820
<v Speaker 3>we could not believe the fact that he drove you

0:05:27.820 --> 0:05:31.780
<v Speaker 3>30 minutes at the all-star weekend he drove you from

0:05:31.820 --> 0:05:34.660
<v Speaker 3>where he was doing his podcast to the hotel that

0:05:34.779 --> 0:05:35.380
<v Speaker 3>what was that.

0:05:35.260 --> 0:05:37.760
<v Speaker 2>Like yeah it was actually the when we were playing

0:05:37.810 --> 0:05:41.270
<v Speaker 2>out in la yeah um so not not that's right

0:05:41.310 --> 0:05:43.550
<v Speaker 2>but um yeah it was cool i i mean i

0:05:43.589 --> 0:05:45.810
<v Speaker 2>listened me and my dad are we're huge fans growing

0:05:45.910 --> 0:05:47.630
<v Speaker 2>up i read his book when i was in like

0:05:47.690 --> 0:05:51.010
<v Speaker 2>middle school so um It was really cool to go

0:05:51.060 --> 0:05:54.839
<v Speaker 2>over there and see his house, but also his studio

0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:58.260
<v Speaker 2>and everything. That was awesome. But I Ubered out there,

0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:01.540
<v Speaker 2>and then he was like, yeah, we had a good time.

0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:04.460
<v Speaker 2>So he drove me back.

0:06:05.540 --> 0:06:07.180
<v Speaker 3>Then he has the story where he came out a

0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:08.779
<v Speaker 3>couple weeks ago and said he doesn't wear a seatbelt.

0:06:09.300 --> 0:06:12.620
<v Speaker 3>So our first reaction was, oh my god, you drove

0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:13.550
<v Speaker 3>this precious cargo.

0:06:13.580 --> 0:06:15.170
<v Speaker 1>As long as you had a seatbelt on, that's all

0:06:15.190 --> 0:06:15.810
<v Speaker 1>we need to know.

0:06:15.830 --> 0:06:17.910
<v Speaker 2>I had a seatbelt on, and when that came out,

0:06:17.950 --> 0:06:20.830
<v Speaker 2>I had to ask him, I was like, were you

0:06:20.850 --> 0:06:24.170
<v Speaker 2>wearing a seatbelt? I texted somebody else, and he was like, no,

0:06:24.210 --> 0:06:26.390
<v Speaker 2>I definitely wasn't. Which I didn't even notice.

0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:29.360
<v Speaker 1>Oh man, now he'll refer to you lovingly as his

0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:32.119
<v Speaker 1>son now? That's a good thing. But I would think, like,

0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:36.440
<v Speaker 1>y'all nerded out like y'all are both basketball nerds right

0:06:36.500 --> 0:06:39.180
<v Speaker 1>like y'all must have had some fun conversations.

0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:41.430
<v Speaker 2>Yeah he uh I mean that was that was right

0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:43.560
<v Speaker 2>after my Packers lost in the playoffs and he did

0:06:43.610 --> 0:06:46.890
<v Speaker 2>like a whole whole breakdown on like the most devastating

0:06:47.050 --> 0:06:49.690
<v Speaker 2>you know Packers playoff losses and I was like man

0:06:49.710 --> 0:06:52.370
<v Speaker 2>I know this isn't a fun conversation but um you

0:06:52.390 --> 0:06:55.409
<v Speaker 2>know it's he's definitely you know knowledgeable about all sorts

0:06:55.470 --> 0:06:57.550
<v Speaker 2>of sports so I think that's those are always fun

0:06:57.589 --> 0:06:58.370
<v Speaker 2>conversations for me.

0:06:58.290 --> 0:06:59.770
<v Speaker 1>All right we got to talk a little some Duke

0:06:59.790 --> 0:07:02.930
<v Speaker 1>stuff here at So Boak wore the Duke hat for

0:07:02.970 --> 0:07:06.120
<v Speaker 1>interviews with Con and Grayson today. So your brother Cager's

0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:08.500
<v Speaker 1>coming in next season at Duke, right? So what are

0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:11.580
<v Speaker 1>we getting with Cager here? So like a 6'10 version

0:07:11.620 --> 0:07:13.460
<v Speaker 1>of you? Is that what we're getting here? What's going on?

0:07:13.980 --> 0:07:17.360
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, he's 6'10. We play a little bit differently. He's 6'10,

0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:21.140
<v Speaker 2>but he moves like he's 6'6. So he can guard,

0:07:21.370 --> 0:07:24.370
<v Speaker 2>you know, one through four. He can really slide his feet,

0:07:24.430 --> 0:07:27.320
<v Speaker 2>super long arms. Um, and that's the part of his,

0:07:27.500 --> 0:07:30.520
<v Speaker 2>his game that Duke's really loved. This is ability to defend. Um,

0:07:31.060 --> 0:07:34.670
<v Speaker 2>you know, they like to switch everything. They like big guys, um, uh,

0:07:34.690 --> 0:07:36.910
<v Speaker 2>you know, that can guard with length. So he's going to,

0:07:36.910 --> 0:07:38.730
<v Speaker 2>that's going to be a big, big strength of his,

0:07:38.750 --> 0:07:40.910
<v Speaker 2>but then also you can shoot the crap out of it. So, um,

0:07:41.250 --> 0:07:43.230
<v Speaker 2>you know, he's, he's got a long ways to go physically,

0:07:43.450 --> 0:07:45.190
<v Speaker 2>you know, which is his body and he'll keep growing

0:07:45.210 --> 0:07:47.810
<v Speaker 2>into it. Um, but he's working really hard and he's,

0:07:47.910 --> 0:07:49.890
<v Speaker 2>he's getting himself prepared for, for next season.

0:07:50.150 --> 0:07:53.480
<v Speaker 1>That's cool. That's cool. Do you, uh, what was your

0:07:53.540 --> 0:07:56.920
<v Speaker 1>reaction to the LaMelo trade? Like it, the report came

0:07:56.960 --> 0:07:59.430
<v Speaker 1>out that LaMelo was traded while we're on the air.

0:07:59.990 --> 0:08:02.140
<v Speaker 1>And I mean, we and the fans on the text line,

0:08:02.570 --> 0:08:05.090
<v Speaker 1>it took us a while to come to terms with this. Like,

0:08:05.150 --> 0:08:08.110
<v Speaker 1>at first, we're upset. We want to know the details.

0:08:08.990 --> 0:08:11.310
<v Speaker 1>As a friend and as a teammate, like, how did

0:08:11.350 --> 0:08:12.650
<v Speaker 1>that hit you initially?

0:08:13.910 --> 0:08:18.510
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, I think we had, you know, Colin

0:08:18.530 --> 0:08:21.350
<v Speaker 2>was traded at the deadline. So just like having a

0:08:21.390 --> 0:08:23.170
<v Speaker 2>teammate that's like on the, you know, he was on

0:08:23.210 --> 0:08:24.710
<v Speaker 2>our bus and like all of a sudden he's like

0:08:24.740 --> 0:08:26.320
<v Speaker 2>getting off the bus, you know, cause he's going to

0:08:26.340 --> 0:08:28.940
<v Speaker 2>Chicago or whatever. Um, and the mellow thing kind of

0:08:28.980 --> 0:08:31.180
<v Speaker 2>happened quickly, you know, like it was the night before

0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:33.380
<v Speaker 2>I saw some reports and I woke up to a

0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:35.820
<v Speaker 2>bunch of texts, like my uncle's like, yeah, you think

0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:37.320
<v Speaker 2>this is going to happen? I was like, I have no,

0:08:37.380 --> 0:08:39.540
<v Speaker 2>I have no idea. Came in the building and yeah,

0:08:39.590 --> 0:08:42.750
<v Speaker 2>he was, he got traded like that morning. So, um,

0:08:43.190 --> 0:08:45.990
<v Speaker 2>you know, it's that, that part of the business is tough.

0:08:46.250 --> 0:08:48.449
<v Speaker 2>You know, you, you have a teammate one day you,

0:08:48.570 --> 0:08:50.110
<v Speaker 2>he was, he was in here every day in the spring.

0:08:51.090 --> 0:08:53.750
<v Speaker 2>and then the next day he's gone. But that's why

0:08:53.770 --> 0:08:57.739
<v Speaker 2>you've got to really pour into those relationships in this

0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:01.900
<v Speaker 2>sport because it's important because not everything lasts forever. I

0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:04.359
<v Speaker 2>really enjoyed being around him every day. He was great

0:09:04.380 --> 0:09:08.340
<v Speaker 2>to everybody in the building. We wish him success with

0:09:08.710 --> 0:09:09.160
<v Speaker 2>the T-Wolves.

0:09:09.590 --> 0:09:12.570
<v Speaker 1>What are you going to miss more, the passes or

0:09:12.590 --> 0:09:12.950
<v Speaker 1>the humor?

0:09:13.610 --> 0:09:14.170
<v Speaker 2>Humor, for sure.

0:09:14.190 --> 0:09:15.810
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

0:09:15.910 --> 0:09:18.650
<v Speaker 2>I mean, you know, the court and stuff's fun, but,

0:09:18.730 --> 0:09:21.170
<v Speaker 2>you know, the relationships, like I just mentioned, are what

0:09:21.190 --> 0:09:23.170
<v Speaker 2>it's all about. And so, you know, it's one of

0:09:23.190 --> 0:09:24.810
<v Speaker 2>the things I think is really special about this group

0:09:24.870 --> 0:09:27.740
<v Speaker 2>is we already, you know, have really good rapport in

0:09:27.750 --> 0:09:29.340
<v Speaker 2>the locker room, and we enjoy each other.

0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:32.339
<v Speaker 3>Well, we're looking forward to you year two. Even though

0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:35.220
<v Speaker 3>Bello's gone, it feels like there's a lot of excitement.

0:09:35.260 --> 0:09:36.600
<v Speaker 3>You're a big part of that, man. We can't wait

0:09:36.620 --> 0:09:38.239
<v Speaker 3>to watch you here do your thing.

0:09:38.500 --> 0:09:40.679
<v Speaker 1>I appreciate it. You're better, too, man. Thank you, Con.

0:09:40.700 --> 0:09:43.150
<v Speaker 3>I got a hamstring, too, myself here, but we'll– We'll

0:09:43.170 --> 0:09:45.170
<v Speaker 3>share notes. You did hurt that running, though.

0:09:45.190 --> 0:09:46.390
<v Speaker 1>I know that. No, no.

0:09:46.510 --> 0:09:48.099
<v Speaker 3>It was actually walking over here.

0:09:48.120 --> 0:09:51.140
<v Speaker 1>All right, Con. Good luck this year, man. Appreciate you.

0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:51.880
<v Speaker 2>Appreciate you guys. Thanks.

0:09:51.900 --> 0:09:52.080
<v Speaker 1>All right.

0:09:52.100 --> 0:09:52.400
<v Speaker 3>Thanks, Con.