Here's how the Hornets' rookies graded out in the preseason opener

For the preseason opener, the Charlotte Hornets got the unenviable task of taking on the defending champion, Oklahoma City Thunder.

As far as report cards go, the class of 2025 would be proud to show their grades to their parents when they got home. Kon Knueppel and the rest of his draftmates should be giddy with what they accomplished.

Kon Knueppel: B+

Knueppel was in the starting lineup instead of Collin Sexton, showing supreme confidence in the rookie to fit in well with the rest of a mostly-established group around him.

Knueppel was the leading scorer for Charlotte, showing confidence on the offensive end of the court. Having LaMelo Ball dishing him open shots might be why he was tethered to the perimeter more than expected.

Meshing with Ball, Miller, and Bridges is going to take some time for Knueppel, while also making sure that he gets enough shots himself. It looked like they had plenty of chemistry in this one.

Ryan Kalkbrenner: B-

Kalkbrenner surprisingly played the most minutes of any Hornets player, which gave him the second-worst plus/minus of the team. Yet, the rookie center might have a shot to earn the backup center minutes behind Moussa Diabate and Mason Plumlee.

He was effective when he shot the ball, even without demanding it often. He was just 3/5 from the free-throw line, so that needs to be fixed. Kalkbrenner's rebounding and defense were solid, which is something Charlotte desperately needs out of a backup.

The biggest reason why the Hornets drafted him is his archetype of the prototypical stretch five. HIs length should discourage would-be attackers of the rim, and we saw a bit of that in this game.

Sion James: B

James played the fewest minutes of any of the rookies. He did go 1/1 from the field, in addition to sinking a pair of free throws.

The rookie guard doesn't look to factor into the Hornets' rotation once the regular season starts, so his performance shouldn't raise any eyebrows. Defensively is where he's going to make his hay, so the more he produces on that end of the floor, the closer he'll be to earning a true spot.

Liam McNeeley: D

The worst of the rookies was clearly Liam McNeeley. His shooting woes from college continue, and that will be the wart that keeps him from seeing playing time this season if he doesn't get it fixed.

On a positive note for him, he was +5 and made all of his free throws. The Hornets need him to work on his shot before he gets any extended playing time, meaning the Swarm will be seeing a lot of McNeeley this year.

All of the rookies will likely have a better opportunity to shine when the Hornets take on a different team. Unfortunately, the Thunder comes calling again later tonight.

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