Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram tries to get past Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Five questions ahead of Raptors vs. Hornets

Originally posted on Toronto Raptors on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Nov 29, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Toronto Raptors are back on the court with the chance to win their 10th game in a row as they travel to the Queen City to take on the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets are fresh off a win at home last night against the Chicago Bulls while the Raptors are still flying high after beating the Indiana Pacers a few days ago. To learn more about the Raptors' next opponent, we spoke with Charlotte Hornets On SI contributor Zach Roberts.

What have the Hornets been up to since their exciting game against the Raptors back on Nov. 17?

A bunch of losing. That game vs the Raptors seemed to imply that a fully healthy Hornets squad could compete with team, but that hasn't been the case. Healthy or not, nearly beating Toronto was clearly an anomaly.

Can Kon Knueppel really win the Rookie of the Year award?

Kon Knueppel can absolutely win the Rookie of the Year. Will he? Probably not, Cooper Flagg is going to play like Cooper Flagg and probably take over the lead, but it will be much more due to Flagg’s excellence than anything with Knueppel’s game.

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

What’s something people should know about the Hornets that isn’t well-known going into the matchup?

How good Kon Knueppel really is. He’s had basically one “off” game at all in the NBA, and he's done all this without LaMelo Ball or Brandon Miller, sometimes both. Drafted as a third option, he’s excelled moving up in the pecking order and taking on a whole lot more usage. He looks like a special talent.

If the Hornets were to win the game, what would be the reason why?

if the Hornets win, it'll be because LaMelo Ball has one of his signature but random games where he scores, rebounds, and assists like few others can. If he just goes off on the offensive end and carries everyone else.

What’s your prediction for the game?

The Raptors should win this handily. The Hornets have a heard time beating anyone that’s not the absolute bottom of the barrel right now, and I have no reason to expect that to change against a good Raptors team.

Tipoff between the Raptors and Hornets is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET inside the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it with NBA League Pass.