
After a 3-1 start to the season without key players, it seemed that the Charlotte Hornets may be headed for a second consecutive winning season.
Since then, though, the Hornets have lost six straight games and have done so by fielding the worst offense in the NBA. As if that hasn't been bad enough, Charlotte announced two injuries that will only be harmful to its ability to get back to winning.
According to a team announcement on Sunday night, both Kon Knueppel and Dennis Schroder have been sidelined with hamstring injuries.
Knueppel is the more significant of the two, as he was already sidelined earlier this season with a hamstring injury. That first hamstring injury kept him out of preseason action, as well as the first eight games of the season. Knueppel re-aggravated his hamstring injury in his season debut, something that will now cause him to miss at least the next four weeks before being reevaluated
Schroder's injury doesn't seem to be nearly as bad as Knueppel's, but he will be out for the next two weeks before being reevaluated. It is two major blows for a Charlotte offense that has struggled mightily through its first 10 games.
INJURY UPDATES: @hornets guard Dennis Schroder has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain, will be listed as OUT vs CLE on 11/9 and will be reevaluated in two weeks (1/2)
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) November 8, 2026
.@hornets forward Kon Knueppel has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain, will be listed as OUT vs CLE on 11/9 and will be reevaluated in four weeks. (2/2)
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) November 8, 2026
Without its top shooter in Knueppel and a veteran presence in Schroder, Charlotte is likely going to struggle in a major way.
That will especially be the case in the Hornets next game, as top scorer Brandon Miller has a hip strain that will force him to miss Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Injuries have long been the story of disappointing seasons for Charlotte. It appears that may be the case once again this season, and for a fan base that is longing for a playoff appearance, that will likely have to wait for at least one more year.
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