All Hornets

Breaking down the Hornets' starting lineup vs. the Washington Wizards

A look at the first five for the Charlotte Hornets.
Dec 1, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) warms up before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) warms up before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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It's a quick turnaround for the Charlotte Hornets, who are back at home tonight to take on the divisional rival, the Washington Wizards.

A few moments ago, Hornets head coach Charles Lee submitted his starting lineup.

The first five for the Hive

G LaMelo Ball

LaMelo bounced back in a big way on Monday night, sinking 8/16 shots from the floor, including 6/10 from three-point land against the Cavaliers. He's yo-yoed in these first three games back from his ankle injury. Can this be the first time he strings together two strong outings?

G Kon Knueppel

Knueppel has recorded 20+ points in five of his last seven outings. Last night, Kon drilled 5/9 from downtown, making him the fastest player in NBA history to make 100 threes. In his only matchup against the Wizards this season, Knueppel scored 20 points to go along with six rebounds and a pair of assists.

G Brandon Miller

Is B-Mill quietly starting to heat up? He's shot north of 60% in two of his last three games and is 7/17 (41%) from three-point range. Should he start to catch fire, the Hornets may be able to climb up the standings with all three of the "big three" healthy.

F Miles Bridges

In 20 career games against Washington, Bridges is averaging 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and three assists, while shooting 44% from the floor. He's been a model of consistency for the Bugs this season, scoring 15+ points in 18 of his past twenty outings.

C Moussa Diabate

Ryan Kalkbrenner will miss his second straight game with an elbow injury, and Mason Plumlee will miss this one after leaving yesterday's game with a groin strain, leaving Charlotte center depth paper-thin. Diabate is the only "center" on the roster, and in an ideal situation, he'd be playing the four. The Hornets will have to play some small-ball, which will be quite the chore against Alex Sarr.

The Hornets and Wizards are slated to throw the ball up in the air at roughly 7:10 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.