Kon Knueppel Admits It Might Take Time to Reach Full Capability in Hornets Return

Kon Knueppel's season starts Wednesday night at Barclays Center, two months after a left hamstring strain in a September pickup game at the team's practice facility.

The Charlotte Hornets moved him to available that afternoon for their game against the Brooklyn Nets. As a rookie, Knueppel made a league-high 273 3-pointers, a record for a first-year player.

Offseason work is part of what he expects to bring back with him.

"Hopefully I can contribute in a capacity similar to last year, and with all the offseason work that I put in, even more," Knueppel said. "It might take me a little bit to get to that full capability, but tonight I'll be ready to go and help us get a win."

Charlotte went 3-5 without him. The Hornets won three of their first four games, including a 110-103 opener in Brooklyn on Oct. 21, and have lost four straight since.

He felt the hamstring tug while going coast-to-coast after a defensive rebound. The team announced the injury Sept. 25 and ruled him out of the preseason. Individual work on the court started again Oct. 20, the day before that opener.

Sitting out was new for Knueppel. He appeared in 81 games as a rookie, with 80 starts, and the only game he missed came Dec. 29, three days after he sprained his right ankle at Orlando.

Knueppel said the Hornets knew from the start that this recovery would take a long time.

"Definitely weird," Knueppel explained in an interview with Hornets.com. "Trying not to get used to it. I'm feeling good, body's feeling good, done a great job with the training staff. We knew it was going to be a long time and so, I'm just really excited to get back out there, help the guys and see what it's all like together."

Coby White came back first. The point guard missed seven games with a left calf strain and returned Monday in a 124-91 loss to the Detroit Pistons. On a minutes restriction, he scored 7 points on 3-of-8 shooting in 16 minutes.

Hornets.com reported that Knueppel's minutes will likely be monitored as well.

Knueppel wants a long NBA career, and he does not expect this to be his last injury.

"Just never being through a rehab before, just learning what that's like," Knueppel said. "I want to play in the NBA for a long time. Odds are this isn't going to be the only time I get hurt. Just getting that experience under the belt about how to navigate it, how to be professional, how to affect the team in other ways, it's all been part of the process."

"[Monday] was my first time going through the gameday routine, so I'm glad they gave me the opportunity to do that just so when I'm playing on Wednesday, I get that comfortability and feel and get ready to go and hoop," Knueppel continued.

He practiced with the Greensboro Swarm on Oct. 29 and was recalled a day later. Hornets coach Charles Lee called his return "right around the corner" before Monday's game.

On Sunday, Charlotte picked up his 2027-28 option. The Hornets drafted him fourth overall in 2025 out of Duke, where he was ACC Tournament MVP as a freshman.

Sion James has started in his place. According to ESPN, the job goes back to Knueppel once he returns.

Grant Williams, whose injury was announced the same day as Knueppel's, remains out with a right hamstring injury. Charlotte sent him to practice with the Swarm on Wednesday.

Last season, his scoring average was 18.5 points to go with 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He finished second to Cooper Flagg, his former Duke teammate, in Rookie of the Year voting.

Brooklyn is 1-6. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. ET, and Charlotte hosts the Boston Celtics on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.