Rapid takeaways: Charlotte Hornets fall to Oklahoma City in preseason opener

Charlotte Hornets basketball is back, folks!

After a six-month hiatus (excluding a two-week fling in Vegas), Charlotte took the floor in Charleston, South Carolina against the defending NBA champions (at least a shell of them) in the preseason debut for both franchises. Let's dive into some initial takeaways from a decisive victory by the Thunder.

Collin Sexton's elite skill opens up the floor

Sexton, the veteran combo guard that Charlotte acquired this summer, was a breath of fresh air on Sunday evening. One of the Hornets' primary weaknesses last season was their inability to collapse a defense by touching the paint, and Sexton proved to be just what the doctor ordered.

In 17 minutes off the bench, Sexton accumulated a meager stat line of 11 points and two assists on two of six from the field. Ho hum.

However, the eye test shined bright. Sexton's rim-pressure was the release valve that opened up the floor for Charlotte's litany of shooters. He attacked the paint with reckless abandon, and when he wasn't firing a pass to an open sniper dotting the perimeter, he was drawing a foul, something else Charlotte didn't do well in 2024-25 (Sexton finished the game 7-7 from the line).

If Sexton continues to come off Charles Lee's bench, his dynamic ability with the ball in his hands will compliment nicely with Tre Mann's newfound focus on catch-and-shoot jumpers, creating a yin and yang that should see minimal drop-off on the offensive end when they take the baton from the starting back court.

Kon Knueppel is NBA-ready

Knueppel started at small forward and put on a show in his 23 minutes.

The rookie was unafraid to fire away from the perimeter, knocking down four of his 10 three-point attempts on his way to a team-leading 18 point night. Knueppel's primary skill, his jumper, looked sharp from the jump.

Arguably more impressive was Knueppel's game inside the arc. He unleashed his patented pump fakes and drop steps, winning in the restricted area with supreme craft and savvy beyond his years.

Kon's athletic limitations were harped on by his biggest detractors, but his raw skill level is so immense, it doesn't matter that he isn't a top 1% athlete in a league full of physical outliers.

Charlotte's defense is a capital P Problem

It was a struggle on defense for Charlotte.

The Hornets played with active hands, causing deflections and disrupting Oklahoma City's offensive flow in spurts, but the Thunder made Charlotte pay for their over-aggression by sneaking back door and finishing off a variety of cuts.

When OKC wasn't killing Charlotte with their off-ball movements, their perimeter shooters were bombing away with great success, finishing 20/49 from three on the night.

Rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner looked overmatched in his minutes guarding stretch five Jaylin Williams; a problem that will persist early in his career. Charlotte's primary defensive focus is to allow poor shooters to attempt long jumpers, but their crosshairs were on the wrong Thunder tonight. Williams continuously made the Hornets pay from deep, putting Kalkbrenner's early regular season role into question.

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