The Charlotte Hornets are 6-16, and they face an absolutely brutal schedule in December. This season is likely already over, but by the time 2026 rolls around, fans may be looking forward to October and a new season.
As Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley pointed out, there are plenty of negative ways to sum up this current team. LaMelo Ball has been in and out of the lineup with ankle problems. Brandon Miller may have a serious shoulder injury, one that’s already cost him a month.
The organization still has plenty of flaws, but rather than pile on, which wouldn’t be unfair, Buckley decided to take a look at the one positive these Hornets can take away from this year.
Insider reveals one positive from ugly Charlotte Hornets start
Dec 1, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) shoots a three point shot against Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) and guard Egor Demin (8) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Kon Knueppel has been a revelation, and he’s the silver lining from what has been a pretty disappointing start. After a fantastic offseason, almost nothing has come together like expected.
That is, except for Knueppel, who’s been better than expected. “Kon Knueppel has lived up to every bit of his pre-draft billing and then some. He looked like he’d be a helpful connector, but he’s already spawning potential-centerpiece talk,” Buckley wrote.
Even after a bit of a dud last night versus the Knicks, Knueppel is still sporting an 18.1/5.6/3.0 slash line while shooting 45.7/40.7/90.2.
He leads all rookies, including Cooper Flagg, in points per game. He’s shooting the ninth-best percentage from the floor among first-year players, and many ahead are big men who do a lot of their shooting close to the basket.
He’s second in three-point percentage by 0.2%, but he’s attempting more than three more threes than the next-closest rookie.
While Flagg is really coming on as of late and closing the gap, Knueppel is the current frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. That may or may not hold, but it speaks to the wildly impressive start he’s had.
This class was full of future All-Stars, and Knueppel was seen as a safe pick rather than a player like this. He was seen as the high-floor prospect, but so far, he’s just flat-out outplayed everyone else. That’s huge for the Hornets, who may already be once again looking to the future.
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