Hornets open without Knueppel, White and Williams despite rehab progress

Charlotte will start the season in Brooklyn without Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams, even as all three move forward in their injury rehabilitation.

The Hornets announced Tuesday that the players had returned to individual on-court activity. The NBA’s Wednesday injury report, issued at 2 p.m. Eastern, still lists Knueppel out with a left hamstring strain, White out with a left calf strain and Williams out with a right hamstring strain. Tipoff against the Nets is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

That distinction matters for Charlotte’s opening rotation: the return to individual work has not yet produced clearance to play. The team’s announcement did not give a date for any of the three to return.

Knueppel’s shooting leaves a sizeable gap

Knueppel made 273 three-pointers last season, the NBA’s highest total, while shooting 42.5 percent from beyond the arc. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 81 games, according to the league’s report on his absence. His three-point total also broke Keegan Murray’s previous rookie record of 206.

White’s absence takes another established scorer out of the opener. He suffered his calf strain during training camp on October 5 and missed the remainder of preseason. Charlotte acquired him from Chicago in February, and he later scored 19 points in the Hornets’ play-in victory over Miami, including the late three that forced overtime.

Local reporting from WBTV, carried by WMBF, confirmed the three absences and reported that a return timetable remained unclear. Charlotte’s first game will therefore offer no immediate look at the group together, despite the improvement in their rehabilitation status.

The league’s afternoon report also lists Hornets guard Kylan Boswell out following right knee surgery. Brooklyn’s Tyler Bilodeau is out with a right shoulder sprain. Those are the listed absences at the 2 p.m. report; the injury designations can change before the opening tip.

Sources

• Charlotte Hornets PR: October 20 injury update
• NBA: Knueppel and White out for opener
• NBA injury report: October 21, 2 p.m. ET
• WBTV/WMBF: Three Hornets ruled out