Collin Sexton or Kon Knueppel? Who should get the starting nod for the Hornets?

The Charlotte Hornets have a plethora of guards that Charles Lee can rotate into the game this season, but much of the focus heading into the new campaign will be on who gets that final starting spot in the backcourt. Will it be the newly acquired veteran, Collin Sexton? Or will it be the fourth overall pick in the draft, Kon Knueppel?

A few members of our Charlotte Hornets On SI staff offer their thoughts on the situation.

Schuyler Callihan: Sexton

I can understand the fans wanting to see the trio of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel right away for 30+ minutes per night, but why force it? Let it happen naturally. Ball and Miller each had to take on more than they should have when they entered the league. There's no reason to force that onto Knueppel as well, even if he can han dle it. You have Collin Sexton for a reason. Start him, let him mentor Kon, and allow the ascention of the rookie to happen naturally. I don't get the sense that Knueppel is someone who can't handle the big stage or could be ruined by handing him a massive role early in his career, but why risk it? Sexton is a proven commodity.

Owen O'Connor: Sexton

I think out the gates you need Sexton to start. Long term, Kon is obviously a starter with this team; however, the sheer amount of guard depth on the roster and veteran experience should point to Sexton getting minutes. If Sexton comes off the bench, the logjam for guys like Spencer Dinwiddie, KJ Simpson, and Nick Smith Jr grows even more. It also puts less pressure on Kon to perform, and gives him a better chance to develop correctly.

Albert Bottcher: Sext on

Both Knueppel and Sexton are valid options. But looking at the rest of the rotation as it stands, I'd rather see Sexton in the starting five. With two ball-dominant undersized guards already coming off the bench in Dinwiddie and Mann (and possibly even a third in Simpson), Knueppel's connectivity would be more helpful to those lineups than another player with a similar profile like Sexton.

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