How Kon Knueppel, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner performed in a historic Hornets starting five

For the first time in franchise history, the Charlotte Hornets started three rookies. Although the final result was ugly for the Buzz, the future remains bright with these three in tow. Let's take a look at how each of the rookies performed in their opening salvo in the starting lineup together.

Kon Knueppel

Tonight was Knueppel's worst game as a professional by far. The rookie was red hot entering tonight's contest, but he clearly struggled with Orlando's physicality. The Magic have a stable of guards and wings with elite positional size, and they forced Knueppel out of his comfort zone and into constricted areas where he saw a ton of blue, and minimal teal and purple.

No matter where Knueppel went tonight, an Magic defender was in hot pursuit. Teams have generally allowed Kon to fire away from deep early in the season, much to their detriment, and Orlando wasn't having it tonight. Without a ton of airspace, Knueppel struggled.

However, Charlotte drafted Kon because he is a maniacal competitor and tireless worker, so don't be surprised when Knueppel comes out on Saturday night with an entirely new bag of tricks to get loose against Minnesota.

Sion James

When asked about the decision to start Sion James over Collin Sexton, Hornets' head coach Charles Lee had this to say:

'We've been switching up our lineups depending on some of the defensive matchups that we had, or just trying to find that right balance with our team, trying to give us a little bit of pop off the bench. I think Sion's been playing really well, earned an opportunity to start. His physicality defensively, and then how he can match up everybody else, made some sense for us.'

James delivered on his coach's belief in the rookie's first career NBA start.

Just like Lee said, James defended on the perimeter with physicality. The 6'5" rookie matched up with two 6'10" All-Star forwards in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and didn't give up an inch of ground no matter the size difference.

On top of playing airtight defense, James continued to flash his elite feel on offense, putting up an understated, yet impactful eight points and an assist.

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Kalkbrenner already looks like a 10-year NBA vet, although he won't admit it.

Following Thursday's contest against the Magic, Kalkbrenner was asked about how he's gone about preparing for nightly matchups against some of the NBA's best interior talents. 'Watch film on them, be as prepared as possible. I mean, I've played five games in the NBA I'm still learning, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing.'

The rookie has some important big man skills that are more innate than taught.

When he receives a pass in the paint, Kalkbrenner is so skilled at keeping the ball above the trees before feathering it through the cup with baby soft touch. He's an impactful screener, swallowing up opposing defenders in space to create driving lanes for his teammates. He runs the floor hard and seals in transition, making himself a valuable asset on the break even without traditional 'rim-running' skills.

This trio (and Liam McNeeley who looked great on Thursday evening) have only played a handful of games, but they're already playing well above their station. The Hornets may not compete for a playoff spot in 2025-26, but they've set themselves up to be a long-term force in the Eastern Conference with this strong draft class.

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