Kon Knueppel, Coby White out for Hornets' season opener

Why this is trending

Kon Knueppel and Coby White are both out for the Hornets' season opener Wednesday at the Brooklyn Nets, and so is forward Grant Williams, which is why their names are suddenly everywhere in search. Here is what is known. Knueppel hurt his left hamstring during offseason on-court activity and never suited up for a preseason game. White strained his left calf on Oct. 5 during training camp and missed the rest of preseason with it. Williams has a right hamstring injury that kept him out of all four preseason games.

What is not known yet is a firm date for any of them to play. The team said Tuesday that all three have resumed individual on-court activity, which is a step toward returning, not a clearance to play. What happens next is straightforward. Charlotte opens its season Wednesday in Brooklyn without three rotation pieces and leans on the rest of the roster until the medical staff clears them.

What each guy is dealing with

Knueppel is coming off a rookie year where he led the league with 273 made 3-pointers, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and shooting 42.5% from behind the arc. The hamstring issue dates back to offseason workouts and cost him the entire preseason slate.

White's calf strain hit during training camp on Oct. 5. He joined Charlotte from the Chicago Bulls in a February trade and finished last season strong, including the moment that made him a fan favorite in Charlotte: 19 points in the play-in win over the Miami Heat, with a turnaround 3 late in regulation that forced overtime. He signed a three-year, $74 million contract with the Hornets over the summer.

Williams has missed every preseason game with the right hamstring injury. Over seven NBA seasons he has averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, the kind of frontcourt depth and shooting Charlotte counts on off the bench.

Why it matters for Charlotte

The timing stings because of what the Hornets did over the summer. They traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves and were counting on Knueppel and White to carry more of the offensive load without him. Instead, the two guards they were building around are both sidelined for the opener, and so is a veteran forward who gives the second unit some stability.

None of this is a season-altering disaster by itself. Hamstring strains and calf strains are common training camp injuries, and the team's own update that all three are back doing individual work is a reasonable sign. But opening night against a Brooklyn team on the road is a tougher spot to be shorthanded in than a random game in December.

Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.