It has not been the start to the season that the Charlotte Hornets were looking for, as they’ve started out the 2025-2026 campaign with a 3-7 record.
To add to it, the Hornets have had both Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball miss an extended period of time, as both have missed their fifth consecutive game.
Looking at the Milwaukee Bucks, their off-season was filled with speculation of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the potential of him leaving, but it hasn’t seemed to affect anything, as they hold a 7-4 record.
Let’s look at the positive. How good has Kon Knueppel been? He currently leads all rookies in points per game, averaging just a shade under 17 at 16.7. The 20-year-old showed off his full skillset on Monday night versus the Lakers when he came up one assist short of his first career triple-double.
Although Knueppel has been awesome, the Hornets have still fallen short in six out of their last seven games. A rough time currently for Hornets fans, who continue to wish for better health of their best players.
One surprise this season for Milwaukee has been its 23-year-old guard Ryan Rollins. So far this season, he is averaging 16.5 points per game, which is 10 points more than last season. Also, he’s shooting at an incredibly high level, connecting on 51% from the field and 43% from three-point range.
Winners in two out of their last three games, the Bucks are looking to build upon that after beating the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, but they’ll have to do it without their superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will be missing his second game of the season with a knee injury.
Key Matchup: The Guards
Without Giannis in the lineup, the Bucks will have to rely heavily on the guard play of Ryan Rollins, Cole Anthony, and Gary Trent Jr. In their one game without Giannis in the lineup, they pulled out a win over Golden State, where Rollins, Anthony, and Trent Jr combined for 62 points.
Collin Sexton, Knueppel, Sion James, and Tre Mann will be the primary guards in this matchup, and they could be the deciding factor in whether the Hornets drop their fourth straight or find themselves back in the win column.
INJURY REPORT:
Hornets: PROBABLE – KJ Simpson (L AC Joint Sprain), Collin Sexton (R Ankle), Pat Connaughton (Illness), QUESTIONABLE – Ryan Kalkbrenner (Personal) OUT – Brandon Miller (L Shoulder), LaMelo Ball (R Ankle), Grant Williams (R Knee), Josh Green (L Shoulder)
Bucks: OUT– Giannis Antetokounmpo (L Knee), Kevin Porter Jr (R Knee), Taurean Prince (Neck)
Projected Starting Lineups
POSITION
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
PG
Collin Sexton
Ryan Rollins
SG
Sion James
AJ Green
SF
Kon Knueppel
Gary Trent Jr
PF
Miles Bridges
Kyle Kuzma
C
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Myles Turner
– TRENDING STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI –
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