Key takeaways from Hornets’ preseason opening loss to Oklahoma City
Charles Lee had a vision leading into the Charlotte Hornets’ preseason opener.
“I want to see the group compete and continue to establish the identity we’ve worked so hard for,” the coach said minutes before his team took the floor against Oklahoma City. “We’ve talked a lot about what we want to do, and there’s been an emphasis on not being ‘talkers’ and being more ‘show-ers.’
“We want to be obsessed with daily improvement. Regardless of who plays for this Oklahoma City team, we’ve done a great job of setting the tone for our training camp. I want to see our stint in Charleston end on a high note today with our competitiveness and togetherness.”
Well, things didn’t exactly conclude in the brightest fashion for the Hornets, despite the Thunder playing without most of its stars and top rotation players. But Charlotte’s 135-114 loss to Oklahoma City at North Charleston Coliseum on Sunday night is more about looking at the big picture as opposed to the actual final result.
And while the Hornets had their share of things to be pleased about, Lee acknowledged there’s still plenty of work to be done. Particularly on his favorite side of the ball.
“I would love to see our defensive focus, our defensive physicality, our defensive mindset be just a little bit sharper and tighter to start the game,” Lee said. “I don’t like looking down at the box score — whether it’s preseason, open gym, regular season — when you go the first three quarters, (surrendering) 36, 34, 37 (points). That’s just not good enough.
“I think that it starts with that first group. We talked about having a little bit better discipline with our red execution, not allowing them to slip or not having two on the ball and communicating better. Our transition defense, making sure we’re stopping the ball and not giving up that layup at the end of the quarter, too.”
Another issue that cropped up frequently last season also left Lee a tad annoyed.
“The fouling, that’s just being solid,” Lee said, “living with some of the highly contested threes without all the high fives at the end of the plays. And so it’s really good for us to play a good team.”
They can take a good look in the mirror over the coming days until they square off against the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Thursday. When they rewatch the footage of their opener, there are occasions where they may cringe a bit, knowing things could have been more fluid.
“I felt like we were playing selfish at times, I thought we were playing together at times,” Collin Sexton said. “We also have to make sure we’re not passing up open ones because we’re trying to pass to our teammates. If you’re open, it’s better for you to shoot it so we can get a good possession.
“Other than that, on the defensive side, we just need more communication and more physicality from us. Setting the tone is something we have to do. We have to be the aggressors right away. We can’t be on our heels and be timid. We have to make sure we’re setting the tone.”
Here are some of the key takeaways from the Hornets’ preseason opener:
Kon Knueppel starts
Perhaps the most anticipation centered around who Lee trotted out for the opening tip.
Three of the starters were already known: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges. But the uncertainty surrounding the other two spots created some intrigue, wondering how Lee planned on filling them.
The answer came less than an hour before the game when the starting lineups were revealed, and Kon Knueppel and Moussa Diabaté got the nods. Knueppel was slotted at small forward and wound up leading the Hornets in scoring with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, heating up after a slow first quarter.
“It’s been a really good, competitive, intense camp,” Lee said. “And so I spoke with Tre (Mann) and Kon and Collin (Sexton), and I said, ‘I think you guys need to be prepared to start a lot of different ways and we’ll see how the season goes.’ I think that each one of them has had really high moments or really good bright spots and have shown that they learned to be out there and have a significant role.
“And all three I think will have a significant role. And every night it might look a little bit different and they need to be open minded to it. And so (Sunday), trying to just get some data on what lineups I think work well defensively, what lineups work well offensively and we’ll keep kind of carving out what we think makes the most sense for our team on a night-to-night basis.”
Knueppel isn’t overly concerned whether he starts or is a reserve.
“I think it doesn’t really matter,” Knueppel said. “I think we’re all going to contribute a bunch or all three of us will. So, just depending on the matchups each night, we want to start out on their guard heavy. Maybe he goes to one of those guys just depending on the matchup.
”But I think we’ll all get similar playing time every game.”
Rookie growing pains
As expected, Knueppel’s fellow rookies Liam McNeeley and Ryan Kalkbrenner had their share of positive plays sprinkled in with a few that were unforgettable.
Kalkbrenner showed off his ability to be a paint presence, thwarting one second-half dunk attempt, and displayed some of the flashes that had his teammates and the coaching staff talking him up throughout the Hornets’ six days in the Lowcountry. McNeeley was among the first players summoned off the bench in the first quarter along with Mann.
“I think everyone got to see what these kids are about,” Lee said. “Our young rookies, they’re fearless, they don’t back down. Their competitive spirit, their winning spirit, they’re coming up with offensive rebounds, they’re diving on the floor for loose balls. There’s a physicality, there’s a togetherness.
“So, they really just embody so much of who we want to be about on both those ends of the floor. With more and more reps, they just get more and more comfortable. So, I was very impressed with all of them and their versatility and open mindedness.
There was a moment midway through the second quarter, when Lee called timeout and immediately huddled Knueppel, McNeeley and Kalkbrenner together.
Visibly bothered by a lack of execution, Lee gave them some immediate instruction.
“Yeah, he got on us a little bit,” Knueppel said. “Obviously, I think Ryan did come over and help and come block a shot and immediately mess up a switch. That stuff can’t happen. We aren’t talking so we’ve got to be able to communicate.
“And if we make a mistake communicating really well, really loudly, that’s different thing. (But don’t) make a mistake not by not communicating.”
It was one of Lee’s teaching points and he made sure to emphasize its importance.
“Yeah, just try to value an opportunity,” Lee said. “I don’t want them to take any opportunity for granted. And so when they get to step on that floor, I want them to be locked in and engaged or recognize that those moments can be taken from you. So, just trying to bring them in and let them understand what the moment is calling for them right now and where they can be better.
“But that’s part of why they’re such good players. They want to be coached, they want to be pushed, they want to be getting feedback whether it’s positive and negative. And I think in that moment it was just a good opportunity for them to realize you’re in game minutes. I need you guys to show up, and be locked in and engaged and focused on what’s going on right now.”
Brandon Miller’s health
Brandon Miller is back and looking smooth.
The last time Miller was spotted on the court for game action was in January, leaving the floor with an injury that cost him the bulk of the 2024-25 campaign. He spent the better part of the offseason rehabilitating, recovering from the torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, and was healthy enough to participate in training camp from its outset earlier in the week.
Playing against the Thunder was the next step in his comeback.
“Preseason day, great feeling just being out there,” Miller said. “Didn’t play how I wanted to play. It’s long season, so just move on to the next one.”
Still, Miller displayed the whole repertoire, nailing a short turnaround in the lane and throwing down a couple of right-handed dunks, showing no ill effects.. He also wasn’t afraid of contact, driving to the rim a couple of times and attempting a pair of free throws, but he did misfire on all five 3-point attempts.
“Just getting that feel back,” Miller said. “I haven’t played basketball with my guys in a long time, so I would say just getting the feel back and building that confidence and bond that we have with our teammates, just being that stronger every day.”
Mason Plumlee arrives
After being away from the team with an excused absence for most of the week, dating back to media day on Monday, Mason Plumlee joined the Hornets in time for their date with the Thunder.
Plumlee participated in pre-game warmups and suited up for the game. However, Lee opted to sit Plumlee out for the opener, going with the center tandem of Moussa Diabaté and Kalkbrenner.
Adding Plumlee’s voice to the locker room has its benefits in Lee’s estimation.
“Yeah, it’s nice,” Lee said. “We have some really good veterans that are part of this team, and since we’ve been here this week, I think each veteran has kind of stepped up in their own way. From playing card games to taking the guys out to dinner, to explaining things on the court, to explaining things in the film room, they all just have such a great voice and impact.
“And I think our players really respect what they’ve accomplished over their careers. Mason’s just another of those guys that brings some knowledge to the game. He’s built a really good relationship with the players here. Some of them he’s known for his past stint here, and to have him back in the gym just gives you another sense of a competitor, a high basketball IQ guy, a great professional. And so it’s been nice.”
This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Key takeaways from Hornets’ preseason opening loss to Oklahoma City."
