On the night after Christmas, the Hornets secured an impressive road win against the Orlando Magic, but in that win, they suffered a massive loss. Hornets rookie standout Kon Knueppel sustained an ankle injury while attempting to block a shot. Knueppel was ruled out for the rest of the game. After the game ended, head coach Charles Lee gave more information on Knueppel’s status, saying that x-rays came back negative.

Kneuppel is slated to miss Charlotte’s next game against his hometown Milwaukee Bucks, with that game and the next few after it in question. How do the Hornets respond and keep their winning streak alive?

My Hottest Take: LaMelo Ball Must Become Efficient

Shooting efficiently hasn’t been LaMelo Ball’s strength, to say the least. Without the safety blanket that Knuppel provides from three-point range, LaMelo can’t afford to jack up contested threes and live with the misses like he tends to do. LaMelo is special to watch when he's dialed in on offense, making elite-level passes and not settling as a scorer, opting to go to the paint rather than creating contested jumpers off the dribble or stalling possessions.

If LaMelo can shoot anywhere from 45-50% from the field, the Hornets’ offense has one of the highest ceilings in the NBA; if not, fans will see bad offense and a sort of your-turn, my-turn style that can become predictable for teams to prepare for.

What You Need To Know: Tidjane Salaün Can Step Up

No single player can replace what Knueppel consistently provides on the court; it has to be a team effort from key role players. Tidjane Salaün has been closely watched by Hornets fans this year after a disappointing rookie season. Fans wanted to see improvement and understand why Charlotte took a chance on him with the sixth pick in last year's NBA Draft.

So far, the progress has been subtle, but it’s been there. His shooting percentages have significantly improved, both in field goal and three-point shooting. Salaün has gone from 33% FG and 28.3% 3PT to now shooting 51.1% FG and 45.7% 3PT. Now with Knueppel out, we’ll really see how much Salaün has grown, as he’ll take on a more critical role in the offense.

Before You Go: It's Time To Show Up, Collin Sexton

Collin Sexton is another guard who should get a boost in playing time. Sexton came back from a left quad injury in the Hornets’ December 26th matchup against the Orlando Magic. In his return, he performed well despite being on a minutes restriction. Sexton put up 13 points on 55% shooting from the field. Sexton is a combo guard who can score in bunches, and when he gets hot, he can be lethal from three-point range, as seen in the Orlando game, when he went 3-3 from long distance.

With Knueppel out and Sexton easing back from injury, it feels like the perfect situation for him to remind fans how potent he can be as a scoring guard. Sexton is averaging 15.3 points per game this season, and that number could very well go up in Knueppel’s absence, and it might need to if the Hornets look to keep the little momentum they have now.