Has Collin Sexton done enough to earn a starting role in the Charlotte Hornets' back court?

Collin Sexton is a culture-changer.

Since he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in late June, his teammates and coaches have raved about the level of intensity that Sexton has brought to the building. 'I would say my energy is contagious,' said Sexton following the Hornets' first preseason game against Oklahoma City.

'I feel like it's something that I can control each and every day. So, going out there and trying to bring the juice, bring the energy, is something that I'm going to do all 82 (games) this season.'

His infectious energy has translated to success on the court. Charlotte's net rating is +4.6 in Sexton's 17.6 minutes per game this preseason, second to only LaMelo Ball (+8.6) among full-time players. The pairing of Ball and Sexton has been dynamic, and Charles Lee has implemented some interesting schematic wrinkles to maximize the strengths of the two lead guards.

LaMelo Ball is a weapon as a screener

LaMelo has carried the weight of the Hornets' franchise on his shoulders since he was selected with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Charlotte made sure to ease that burden this summer.

The acquisition of Sexton, specifically, has allowed Ball to play without the ball in his hands in the preseason. Ball knocked down 37% of his catch-and-shoot attempts in 2024-25, a number that could skyrocket with talented ball handlers around him.

Against the Mavericks, Lee used Ball's gravity as a shooter to allow Sexton to cook.

Hornets weaponized LaMelo’s gravity with a Ghost Flare action that ends with a Bridges 3.

If Lee is going to utilize Ball like this (he should), starting Sexton in the back court with him makes sense.

Sexton is a talented creator who will eat up defenses who commit to LaMelo pic.twitter.com/horGQOcKNF
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) October 13, 2025

In the above action, Ball sets a 'ghost' screen for Sexton before slipping behind a flare screen set by Ryan Kalkbrenner. Because Ball started the possession as the low man in the dunker spot and Thompson had to stay glued to his hip because of his elite shooting talent, Sexton was afforded a free lane to drive through.

Dallas sent help from the weak side corner, and Sexton rifled a pass to Miles Bridges who knocked down a three-pointer.

This is one example of something that I believe will become a trend in Charlotte's early season offense, and a major reason why I think Sexton should start at shooting guard next to Ball when the Hornets' season tips off next week.

Allowing LaMelo to operate a screener will open up a world of mismatches for him and his teammates. His combination of size and deadeye shooting accuracy mean defenses have to account for him whenever he steps over the half-court line, and the pretzel he forces oppositions into while moving without the ball is a tough one to untangle.

If teams switch, the player Ball screens for can take advantage of a mismatch.

If teams stick to Ball through screening actions, his teammates will have room to attack.

It's a win-win. Starting Sexton alongside LaMelo allows this beautiful, complex dance between two talented ball handlers to flourish.

Sexton is a professional hooper

Sexton brings a professionalism to Charlotte's back court that they've lacked in the post-Terry Rozier world. When things break down, Collin knows how to get a bucket.

In preseason action, the Hornets have faced a couple of possessions of zone defense as teams have tried to slow down their breakneck pace.

Against Oklahoma City, Sexton did a masterful job of getting Charlotte's offense into a zone-beating set, and he went to work to put two points on the board. He's great at getting the Hornets' offense organized in muddled situations (i.e. after an initial action stalls or after an offensive rebound) and can be relied on to at least get a paint touch when Charlotte's offense gets bogged down.

In all, Sexton has proven to be a steady hand in the Hornets' back court that opens up a world of opportunities for creative offense while allowing Charlotte to play the fast-paced style their head coach keeps harping on.

Kon Knueppel's moment will come, but allowing him to get his feet wet against opposing benches alongside Tre Mann in the back court will lengthen his runway in the early-season, giving the rookie a chance to develop without the pressure of being named a starter.

The season tips off in less than a week, so our questions about the starting lineup will be answered soon. However, in my opinion, Sexton has done enough to answer them already.

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