Knueppel’s Return Could Lift Hornets’ Struggling Offense
On November 3, 2026, Charlotte’s offense ranked last in the NBA, but lineup numbers from last season suggest Kon Knueppel’s return alongside Coby White and Brandon Miller could help.
The Charlotte Hornets have opened the NBA season with the league’s lowest offensive rating, sitting 3.5 points behind the next-worst team. Despite three wins and occasional scoring bursts from Brandon Miller, the team has struggled with shooting, passing and turnovers. Offensive rebounding has been a relative bright spot.
There may be help coming. Coby White has returned, and Kon Knueppel is expected back soon. Last season, when White, Knueppel and Miller shared the court, the Hornets posted a 134.2 offensive rating, made 44.7% of their three-pointers and had a plus-25.8 net rating. Their defensive rating in those minutes was 108.5.
The trio’s numbers stood out even more in minutes when Miles Bridges was off the floor: a 147.6 offensive rating, 44.4% shooting from three and a plus-37.6 net rating. Those figures come from a very small sample, and White played only 21 games last season.
The strong results offer a reason to think the offense could improve once the three are available together. Whether that combination can deliver over a larger stretch of games remains to be seen, but the numbers suggest Charlotte’s early struggles may not tell the whole story.