Kon Knueppel and KJ Simpson scored 19 and Damion Baugh added 18 in a dominant win over the Spurs that put the Charlotte Hornets in the summer league semifinals.

Recap

Both teams came into the game with 3-0 records, which meant a spot in the summer league semifinals were basically on the line. The game held true to expectation for about 15 game minutes. Then the Hornets scored 21 straight points late in the first half and blew the game wide open.

The Spurs made one push in the middle parts of the third quarter, but the Hornets had a response run and then some. They continued to pour it on into the fourth quarter and never went to the deep bench, which suggests they were intentionally trying to set themselves up for the knockout round. The Spurs did cut into the lead a bit in the fourth, but the Hornets still cruised to a 25 point win to clinch a semifinal spot.

Takeaways

I think we can relax about Kon Knueppel a bit now, right? There was some consternation about his debut performance, especially from those who weren’t a fan of him being the selection at four to begin with. He’s improved each game since then, culminating in a 19 point, 6 assist, 5 rebound, 2 steal showing against the summer Spurs. He knocked down three 3-pointers, including a self created one off a step back. He also had the assist of the summer league.

That play illustrates Knueppel’s appeal beyond the shooting. He sees the game at a high level. He makes winning plays. The win over the Spurs reinforced that.

KJ Simpson continued his strong play. He’s had such good command of the Hornets offense throughout summer league, and his point of attack defense has set the tone for the team. He had almost the exact same stat line as Knueppel. He looks improved over last season and like he could contribute to the Hornets more than he did last season.

Damion Baugh hit three threes during the big run at the end of the first half. He and Simpson are very good guards to have on two-way contracts. Baugh’s shot isn’t as good as it was in this game, but his tenacity on both sides of the floor are always there.

A lot of people thought PJ Hall was a contender for the Hornets last two-way contract. The Hornets went and signed Drew Peterson instead, but Hall seems like a safe bet to stick around in the organization. There’s a chance he impressed enough to sign a deal with another team, but if he doesn’t, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see him in Greensboro this fall.

The Hornets as a team did not play like a summer league team with limited practice time. The group looked like they’ve been together for months. They assisted on 26 of 38 made shots and nearly had a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. That’s pretty wild for this setting. The defense was relentless and connected. The Spurs had been one of the best offensive teams in the summer league so far and they had no answers for the way the Hornets were guarding them.

On a negative note, I need to throw some shade at MJ Walker. He’s my least favorite summer league archetype. He’s had a couple moments where he’s gotten hot, but he’s been way too trigger happy for my liking. He hoisted up 11 threes in 23 minutes and some of them were unnecessary with a lot of pressure around him. Good shooter. Could stand to use some better shot selection.

What’s Next

With a Raptors win late Thursday night, the Hornets ended up with the third seed heading into the semifinal round. They’ll play the Thunder at 6:00pm Eastern on Saturday. Should they win that game, they’ll play for the summer league championship at 10:00pm Eastern on Sunday.