Hornets notebook: Charles Lee’s early takes, Brandon Miller lauds rookie’s debut
In the aftermath of the preseason opener and before heading over to Queens University for some fun fans during the team’s annual purple & teal scrimmage, the Charlotte Hornets had a film session.
While re-watching the footage of Sunday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t exactly evoke nightmares, there were a few areas coach Charles Lee highlighted.
“Ball security and taking care of the ball,” rookie Liam McNeeley said Tuesday night. “We played fast and that’s something we’ve really made an emphasis on. And I think we did a good job of that.
“But taking care of the ball and then guarding the ball on defense.”
Sounds like McNeeley was paying attention to Lee’s instructional pointers. Defense is Lee’s calling card and he doesn’t tolerate too many errors on that side of the ball.
Whether it’s preseason or games that count, he wants the players to remember the principles that he’s instilling in them. There really is no compromise.
“I thought defensively we had some things that we can do better in transition,” Lee said. “I do think for the most part we took better care of the ball. Ultimately not a ton of sloppy turnovers. They were turnovers I like to think of as aggression.
“We’re trying to make the right play, trying to make the right read. But some of those turnovers turned into fast break points for OKC. But I think we can keep getting better with our effort, our communication in transition.”
It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though. There were certain things to like from Lee’s perspective.
“Overall, I think defensively we got to try a lot of different things and a lot of different matchups,” Lee said. “And offensively, I love the ball movement, I love the pace. I thought we created a lot of really high quality shots and the ball was moving with one another.”
Role reversal
The sneaker was on the proverbial other foot for a few minutes Tuesday.
Enjoying the festivities associated with the team’s annual purple & teal scrimmage — which included a rookie dance contest won by Ryan Kalkbrenner — Lee participated in the 3-point contest, serving as the final shooter in the friendly drill.
He wasn’t pleased with his performance, though.
“I’m going to go home, I’m going to watch the film as I always do, self-reflect,” Lee said. “I can get better. I’ve got to get in better shape. You can’t come out and not even have any time left to get your corners because that’s my sweet spot, too. Little disappointed, but the effort was there.”
Brandon Miller chirped in Lee’s ear at the outset. A few of Lee’s assistants also barked a bit, apparently providing zero encouragement.
“Unlike the coaching that I do, which is usually positive, the coaching, there was a lot of trash talk,” Lee said. “And so it was a little bit different. But I had to embrace adversity and kind of work my way around the horn.
“But I love any time we can all challenge and have fun with each other. It’s really good.”
McNeeley appreciated the show from Lee.
“He was better than I thought he would be,” McNeeley said. “He had good form. His legs weren’t in it, though.”
Kon Knueppel fan club growing
Count Miller among those who like what they’re seeing from Kon Knueppel.
The Hornets’ prized first-round pick led the team in scoring in Sunday’s preseason opener against Oklahoma City, pumping in 18 points. He’s fitting in nicely so far with his new teammates and Miller perked up a bit when Knueppel’s name was brought up.
“Definitely a great competitor,” Miller said. “He’s going to have a great career in this league. I’m rooting. We’re going to be right there behind him, supporting him as he continues to get better every day.
“So, hats off to him for coming in with the most confidence, just continue to have that confidence and that competitive spirit. You can’t ask for much more from him.”
Perhaps the most encouraging thing: Knueppel heating up after misfiring early. He misfired on four of his initial five attempts from the floor — all beyond the 3-point arc — before getting into more of a comfort zone, finishing 6 of 13 overall and 4-for-10 from 3-point range.
“Yeah, I mean I started one for five,” Knueppel said. “Couple of them felt good. One got tipped, one felt really long. Just kind of getting calibrated. I think I thought they were good shots. So, feel good about that.”
As well as ensuring he handled all his individual responsibilities. Transitioning from college to the pro level isn’t an easy task and Knueppel is learning on the fly, doing what he can to best prepare for the moment.
“I just think (it’s) trying to make the right plays,” Knueppel said, “trying to be in the right spot defensively and then just trying to make the extra pass offensively, find the open guy, make the right read on the kind of close out.”
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Hornets notebook: Charles Lee’s early takes, Brandon Miller lauds rookie’s debut."
