Kon Knueppel is finally seeing the Hornets for what they truly are

There has been one constant for the Charlotte Hornets this year: Kon Knueppe l. The rookie has been active in every game, which is a rarity for the most important Hornets, and he's really yet to have a bad outing.

But in just 10 games, he has learned what it's like to play for the Hornets. Thanks to the never-ending stream of crucial players getting hurt, the Hornets have to shuffle lineups around a lot, and they can't ever be at full strength.

Knueppel had no say in where he was drafted, of course, but if he had, he might've wanted to avoid Charlotte for this very reason. He was never supposed to be a franchise's best player, but now he's, by default, the top Hornet.

He said after an inspired losing effort without LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, "It's hard when we're not whole." He continued, "It's really hard to see where we're at and it's tough because guys have to embrace roles that are maybe different than in the preseason. That's frustrating, and losing is frustrating, but we'll keep at it."

Nov 1, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) handles the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

This is the epitome of the modern-day Hornets. Someone important is always hurt. Whenever LaMelo Ball does come back from his ankle injury, Brandon Miller will still be out. And by the time Miller is back, someone else, probably Ball, will be hurt.

This is the nature of the team. They've been at full strength very rarely in the LaMelo Ball era. Knueppel is now learning about this firsthand. Try as he might, he is not quite good enough to carry a team in the absence of its two best players.

He's better than anyone might've expected without Ball and Miller, since he was primarily drafted based on how well he'd fit and play off of those two. However, he has not been able to play with those two at all.

The starting five of Ball, Miller, Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Miles Bridges has 10 minutes on the court together, according to NBA advanced stats. They were pretty effective, but a team can't get any traction based on that small sample size. The Hornets can't learn anything about what this core really looks like in those few minutes.

Sadly, this seems to be inevitable. Knueppel, so far, has been durable, but he's basically the only one. At some point, the Hornets are going to have to get players who can stay on the court with Knueppel, otherwise frustration will surely mount.

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