The Charlotte Hornets got less than six minutes from Kon Knueppel in his season debut. Now they’ll wait another four weeks for his next evaluation.
Charlotte announced Sunday that Knueppel has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in four weeks. The Hornets ruled him out for Monday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Head coach Charles Lee said Friday that the team was still gathering information from its performance staff.
The injury had already cost Knueppel the first eight games of the season. He returned Wednesday, Nov. 4, against the Brooklyn Nets, scored three points at the free-throw line and left in the first quarter with soreness in his left leg. The Hornets ruled him out for Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics, and the NBA injury report again listed a left hamstring strain.
How Long Will Kon Knueppel Be Out?
The four-week mark falls around Dec. 6. Charlotte has yet to set a return date. There are 10 games on the Hornets’ current schedule before that reevaluation, starting with Monday’s home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and running through a Dec. 2 visit to Boston.
That stretch includes a three-game trip to Phoenix and Los Angeles, where Charlotte will face both the Clippers and Lakers. Knueppel is due for his next evaluation after the Nov. 28 rematch with Brooklyn at Spectrum Center.
Charlotte first announced the injury in September, saying Knueppel hurt his left hamstring during offseason on-court work. He missed the preseason and later joined the Greensboro Swarm for a practice as he worked toward his debut. He has appeared in one of Charlotte’s first 10 games.
Charlotte Hornets Need Shooting With Knueppel Sidelined
Knueppel made 273 3-pointers last season, an NBA rookie record and the most in the league. He shot 42.5% from deep while averaging 18.5 points across 81 games. That volume is particularly hard to replace. A defender has to follow Knueppel away from the ball, which gives the Hornets more room to attack the lane.
Charlotte gave Grayson Allen his first start of the season Friday with Knueppel out. Allen went scoreless in 22 minutes, while Sion James made three 3-pointers and reached double figures for a third straight game. The Hornets also lost Brandon Miller to right groin soreness in the second quarter of their 119-80 loss to Boston, their sixth straight defeat.
Allen gives Lee an experienced shooter to plug into the starting five, and James’ recent production gives him another option on the wing. Miller’s availability will help determine how much Charlotte needs from both. Cleveland comes to town Monday, and Lee has about a month of games to navigate without the shooter who led the league in makes a season ago.
Kon Knueppel Injury: Charlotte Hornets Announce Brutal News