"I wasn't really comfortable": Duke's Kon Knueppel gets real about underwhelming 3-point shooting in freshman season

Kon Knueppel averaged 14.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in his freshman year with Duke. He declared for the NBA draft after just one season with the Blue Devils and is projected to be a lottery pick in most mock drafts.

However, Knueppel did have a few weaknesses during his freshman campaign, most notably his 3-point shooting. Though he shot 40.6% from beyond the arc, he struggled with consistency — particularly off the dribble, at pull-up 3s, where it has been close to just 14%.

Earlier this week, the 6-foot-7 guard spoke with Yahoo Sports' Kevin O’Connor to discuss his pre-draft process and his time in Durham. During the interview, O’Connor asked Knueppel about his shooting splits and how he plans to improve.

"I wasn't really comfortable shooting those, to be completely honest," Knueppel said. "I didn't shoot a ton of them in high school. So I've just got to get reps, get better at it, and get more comfortable.

"The midrange too. We didn't shoot a lot of midrange at Duke. I want that to be more of a staple in my game because I think that's a great shot for me."

NBA personnel warn Kon Knueppel's skill set may not impress top draft selectors

Kon Knueppel is a solid draft prospect with good size for his position as well as a reliable shooting stroke. He shot 47.9% from the field and 91.4% from the free-throw line. Knueppel earned ACC Tournament MVP honors for his performance.

However, Athlon Sports' Sean Deveney said some NBA personnel are worried that he may not get drafted as high as some expect.

"It's hard to see him as a Top 5, a Top 8 pick in the draft," one exec said. "He is a good kid, he is definitely a shooter. He deserves to be a first-rounder, Top 20. But I would just warn him, I could see him sliding.

"The size, the athleticism, it's just not really there. I think you're going to see more teams willing to take a gamble on an athlete at the top of the draft than a shooter."

At Draft Combine last week, Kon Knueppel measured 6-foot-5 barefoot with a 6-foot-6 ¼ wingspan. The Milwaukee native needs to improve his athleticism and consistency as a shooter if he wants to stick around in the NBA for a long time.