Kon Knueppel details his whirlwind month, which saw him win Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month and appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Knueppel admits to being nervous about the late-night appearance but calls being on the show a "cool experience." He stresses the need for the team to stick to their habits and "get better as a collective unit." By DIAMOND VENCES
Physically weary and mentally tired from a two-week span that probably felt more like a month, perhaps no one is welcoming the upcoming mini-break more than the Charlotte Hornets.
That’s what playing seven NBA games in 12 days will do. To just about anybody.
“This is what we train for, condition throughout the summer,” Miles Bridges said, minutes from emerging from the weight room for a postgame lift Sunday night. “It’s the NBA. That’s why it’s not an easy league. You’ve got to keep your body right. It’s going to wear your body down, but nobody’s ever going to 100%. So, if you could find a way to play through it, then you’re good.”
Now with Sunday night’s 115-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the rearview mirror, the Hornets can focus on the main task at hand: getting healthy. They’ve been banged up for the majority of the season, dating back to Oct. 25 when Brandon Miller suffered a left shoulder subluxation.
Injured Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams, left, guards Tre Mann, center and Pat Connaughton, right, sit on the team’s bench during action against the Denver Nuggets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, December 7, 2025. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Against the Nuggets, the Hornets were about as shorthanded as they’ve been over the past six weeks. LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann and Moussa Diabate joined Charlotte’s main usual duo in street clothes — Grant Williams and Josh Green — leaving the Hornets without three key ball-handlers and their top reserve big man. Throw in another end-of-the-bench guy in Pat Connaughton still sidelined for the eighth straight game nursing a right calf strain and the Hornets’ list of walking wounded in rather lengthy.
Here’s where the Hornets (7-17) are : Mason Plumlee was the first player off the bench versus Denver, summoned by Lee to take the place of starter Ryan Kalkbrenner because the rookie center picked up a pair of quick fouls in his first outing against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
They were that thin, down to officially 11 healthy bodies and the Nuggets wore them down in the second half, highlighted by Denver’s talented tandem of Jamal Murray (34 points) and Jokic, who nearly recorded a triple-double with 28 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.
Which is why a five-day pseudo-respite to gather themselves sounds so good to them.
“It’s going to be great for us,” Bridges said. “Some guys are hurt right now. They should be back by that time hopefully. But if not, we’re going to have a next-up-mentality, next man. But it’s going to be great for us.”
Rest is definitely on the menu for the Hornets.
“Just use the five days and just focus on the right things,” said Brandon Miller, who tossed in 17 points and snared five rebounds. “Just come back with the mindset of just dominating and then we’ll be fine with that.”
Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller reacts to a missed shot during action against the Denver Nuggets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, December 7, 2025. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
If there’s a bright spot as a result of the Hornets’ rash of injuries, it centers around the added playing time that might not otherwise be available if the guys ahead in the rotational pecking order were healthy.
KJ Simpson’s game has been enhanced, particularly in the past five-plus quarters since Ball exited the second half in Toronto on Friday. Starting in place of Ball at point guard, Simpson recorded a season-best 16 points and also hauled in five rebounds versus the Nuggets, continuing a pattern that’s pleased the staff.
“I just saw he was decisive, aggressive, confident,” coach Charles Lee said. “Just a little bit more sure of where he wanted to get to and what he was trying to accomplish. Just his intentionality and purpose was felt. Zero turnovers (Sunday night) after a game where he just had seven turnovers. And so, that’s the type of response that he usually gives us. The resilience to not hang his head and move on to the next game, move on to the next play.
“We needed every bucket that he gave us today. I thought defensively he was really active and stuff too. So, total overall game for KJ. Big minutes with us having some guys out.”
Tidjane Salaün is another who’s benefitted from the Hornets’ having fewer healthy bodies. He turned in his third straight solid effort, posting five points along with six rebounds. That came on the heels of his career-high 21 points in Toronto on Friday.
He’s shooting the ball much better and confidently since being called back up to the main roster following another G League stint with the Greensboro Swarm. The 10 games he’s logged with the Hornets’ affiliate have yielded positive results, with the 20-year-old averaging 16.6 points and canning 47.8% of his attempts.
“The thing I’ve noticed the most from him from his stint and since he’s returned with us is his understanding of how much he can impact the game in a lot of different ways,” Lee said. “It doesn’t only have to be scoring. We feel his presence a lot more defensively now. His communication, the buy-in on that end of the floor is all of a sudden transitioning and translating well too to the offensive side.
“And offensively, I think he’s kept it simple. He’s done a really good job of catching and shooting. Quick decision drives, not holding it. And then when he gets to the paint, the rim reads continue to get really good. So, it started with the Swarm staff, and I think they did a phenomenal job. Started with Tidjane having the right mindset when he got awarded the opportunity to play in Greensboro, and he’s just kind of kept it going now. So, I’m really proud of him.”
Here’s what Lee had to say about the Hornets’ key injured players:
Charlotte Hornets injured guard LaMelo Ball, left, shakes hands with teammate and forward Tidjane Salaun, right, prior to the team’s game against the Denver Nuggets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, December 7, 2025. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
LaMelo Ball (left ankle bone bruise)
“I think that our performance staff is just continuing to evaluate him every day,” Lee said, “(He’s) day-to-day at this point. It’s nice that (we have don’t) have another game until Friday. So, you know, I think playing six games in 10 days, it’ll be good for us to have these next couple days. Keep evaluating some of our injured guys.”
Collin Sexton (left quad strain)
“I think he continues to progress every day,” Lee said. “I think he’s doing a little bit on the court maybe right now during some pre-game stuff. And again, he will benefit for these next few days off to see where he is and continue to get evaluated.”
Tre Mann (right knee bone bruise)
“I think he’s progressing pretty well, I know (from) when I see him around the facility,” Lee said, “and then we’ve been talking and talking to our performance group. He’s making a little bit of progress every day and I think he’s another one that’ll benefit for us not having a game until this Friday.”
Moussa Diabate (right knee soreness)
“Yeah,” Lee said, “I think his knee had just kind of been … I even want to use any term that’s going to go …”
Viral.
“Yes, exactly,” Lee said. “But it’s soreness or something. He had been dealing with it and noticed in the Toronto game, it just maybe flared up a little bit after the game. So, we’ll see how he does again these next couple days when we have a little bit of a break.”