The Charlotte Hornets have been a little disappointing this year. Fans had all hoped they’d be healthier and that the offseason work would pay off. Well, the latter has been true, but they have not at all been healthy, making it very hard to get a read on this unit. Still, we have learned a few things after 10 games.
Collin Sexton does much better with LaMelo Ball active
The idea behind bringing Collin Sexton in was that he could play well with LaMelo Ball and take over for him capably when Ball inevitably got hurt. Well, Ball has been hurt already this year, and Sexton has had to take over the starting PG duties.
Unfortunately, like most everything on this roster, Sexton is better with Ball healthy. He and Ball were almost a dynamic duo of sorts, but Sexton reverts back to being a solid if unspectacular contributor with Ball sidelined.
Since Ball went down, Sexton is averaging 13.3 points, 6.6 assists (with five turnovers per game), and shooting 41.1% from the field. Those are not the sort of numbers we need from a player like Sexton, who plays much better when Ball is active.
Kon Knueppel is legit
Nov 7, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) during the first quarter of an NBA Cup game at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Everything we hoped to see from Kon Knueppel has come to fruition already. He works hard on defense, he facilitates a little bit, and he shoots the lights out. Aside from the shooting, nothing was a given coming out of the draft, but all the potential Knueppel has is showing already.
Thanks to injuries, Knueppel has been by far the best player the Hornets have, and he’s someone who looks like a cornerstone rather than an accessory. If Ball and Brandon Miller can’t ever get healthy, Knueppel seems perfectly fine as a Robin to one of their Batman instead of a third wing to both.
When healthy, this can actually be a decent team
“When healthy” is a huge, consequential qualifier here, but the core of this roster is pretty solid. Their offensive rating is 14th in the NBA, and that’s with Ball and Miller missing huge chunks of time. Even Sexton has missed a game. The defensive rating is sixth-worst, but that’s honestly a little better than expected with rookies and traffic cones on the floor.
Their net rating is slightly negative (-2.2), and again, that’s without Ball and Miller for most of this year. They’re starting three rookies on a nightly basis, two of whom were second-round picks, and they’re still competitive. That net rating is 21st in the NBA, and with their stars healthy, one can imagine it trending closer to the middle of the league, which is decent.
All may not be lost with Tidjane Salaun
At times, Tidjane Salaun, even in the G League, has looked totally lost. But the underlying metrics are good. He’s only played a tick under 12 minutes on average in seven appearances, but he was quietly incredible in those minutes.
He leads the Hornets in offensive rating with a blistering 129.4 rating, which is on par with Darius Garland, Nikola Jokic, and Anthony Edwards, as well as 13th in the entire NBA (no minimum minutes played). He also leads the team with a 13.8 net rating. In terms of player impact estimate, he was more impactful than Brandon Miller and Tre Mann. If he can get any sort of consistency, he could be a solid role player.
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