This is a gut punch for the Hornets and their fans: Less than six minutes into his season debut, guard Kon Knueppel aggravated the left hamstring injury that had sidelined him through training camp. He went back to the locker room immediately and did not return due to what the team called “soreness in his left leg.”

Knueppel strained his left hamstring during off-season workouts and missed all of training camp plus the first eight games of the season because of it. He made his season debut against Brooklyn Wednesday but didn’t even get to the six-minute mark before checking himself out of the game in clear pain.

Knueppel finished second in Rookie of the Year voting last season, playing in 81 games and averaging 18.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and he led the NBA in total 3-pointers made. This summer, when the Hornets traded LaMelo Ball to Minnesota, it was a bet on Knueppel and Brandon Miller, believing they could build something better and more sustainable around the duo. That only works if Knueppel is on the court.

The Hornets also got Coby White back from a calf strain on Monday, providing much-needed shot creation.