In last summer’s NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg went first to Dallas, Rutgers’ Dylan Harper second to San Antonio, Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe third to Philly and Flagg’s Duke teammate Kon Knueppel fourth to Charlotte.

In retrospect, San Antonio might have made a mistake. He would have been a great fit with Victor Wembanyama and more importantly, he would have fit in philosophically with what the Spurs have always looked for: smart, team-oriented players.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Too late now. And anyway, Knueppel has been great with the Hornets.

After they picked him, a lot of people thought he had gone too soon, but someone with the team – we can’t remember who – said they thought they might have gotten the best player in the draft.

It’s still early, but they might be right, and at a minimum, almost everyone underestimated Knueppel’s impact. He’s been a revelation.

It’s been fun to watch people realize his impact. In this video from All-Star Weekend, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo spends a little time talking to Knueppel. He demonstrates a move and compliments Knueppel, a rookie, for understanding something that a lot of players have never figured out.

Antetokounmpo goes on to say that Knueppel is one of the smartest rookies he’s ever seen and that, in so many words, his future is bright.

At the end, Knueppel, a Milwaukee native, is clearly excited that the hometown hero is impressed. Who wouldn’t be?