LaMelo Ball RESPONDS to Trade Rumors | Kon Knueppel's STAR Turn Changes Everything | Miles Bridges' STRUGGLES Explained

We unpack a whirlwind weekend of news starting with the conflicting reports surrounding LaMelo Ball. After a report surfaced claiming LaMelo was "increasingly frustrated" and open to a trade, the star point guard shut it down with a "clown" emoji and a direct denial to the media. We discuss the validity of the rumors, the team's stance on listening to offers, and why we believe LaMelo wants to stay in Charlotte—for now. Then, we shift focus to the cognitive dissonance of this season: the team is losing, but rookie Kon Knueppel is playing historic basketball. We look at his incredibly efficient shooting numbers, his versatility, and why his performance looks closer to a top-15 player in the East than a standard rookie. Is he already a cornerstone piece alongside Brandon Miller? Finally, we examine the "crunch time issues" plaguing the Hornets, specifically looking at the recent loss to the Hawks. We discuss the struggles of Miles Bridges, whose finishing at the rim has plummeted to the 6th percentile among forwards. We explore why the "hero ball" approach isn't working and how the lack of playmaking in late-game situations is costing the Hornets wins. Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://linktr.ee/lockedonhornets Become an official member of the Locked On Hornets Sicko Brigade and get Hornets news, rumors and pictures of Byron Mullens sent directly to your phone via Subtext (14 Day Free Trial): https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonhornets Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA Get Doug's gamenotes, special articles and a podcast on Hornets history at the Every Hornets Boxscore substack: everyhornetsboxscore.com Get more Walker on Wes and Walker 12-3pm on WFNZ 92.7 FM Top 35 Hornets Nicknames of All-Time According to Doug Branson: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-nicknames-in-hornets-franchise Top 35 Hornets of All-Time According to Walker Mehl: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-players-in-hornets-history 📲 Follow Locked On Hornets on Twitter Locked On Hornets https://twitter.com/LockedOnHornets Walker Mehl https://twitter.com/WalkerMehl Doug Branson https://twitter.com/DougBransonLOH Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! OpenPhone Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/lockedonnba Hungryroot With Hungryroot, it’s like having a personal shopper and a nutritionist all in one. For a limited time, get 40% off your first box and a free item in every box for life! Just go to Hungryroot.com/lockedonnba and use code LOCKEDONNBA. Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first year Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Right now, new customers can get ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.