Hornets summer league grades: Ryan Kalkbrenner – At The Hive

The Charlotte Hornets desperately needed a center to complement the depth of Moussa Diabate and (eventually) Mason Plumlee after trading away Mark Williams. They settled on Ryan Kalkbrenner as the guy near the top of the second round. Kalkbrenner played in all six of the Hornets’ summer league games and showcased both the pluses and minuses of his game as he transitions to the NBA.

Kalkbrenner’s calling card coming into the league was his rim protection, and he put that on display in Las Vegas. He blocked 1.7 shots per game in 25 minutes per game, and he blocked seven total in the last two games alone. He was a decent deterrent around the rim even when he wasn’t blocking shots as well. That said, the defense away from the basket wasn’t always the best. He gave up a lot of ground in drop coverage, which isn’t going to work as well in the NBA as it did in college. He was clearly uncomfortable guarding in space and is looking like a problem in that regard, especially when the quality of play bumps up in the regular season. He was an underwhelming rebounder in college, and that showed up in the summer league too, where he averaged just 5.5 rebounds per game.

Offensively, the Hornets asked Kalkbrenner to function in an entirely different manner compared to what he did in college. While his college tape is full of post ups and camping in the dunker spot, the Hornets used him a lot more as a hub at the elbows and as a screener. While he wasn’t awe inspiring as a passer, he took care of the ball well and made good decisions. I would’ve liked to see him get more looks finishing plays, but he did well with the looks that he got. He even made a couple of threes.

I think it’s easy to get caught up in the “what could be” of second round picks, but more often than not, second round picks were second round picks for a reason. Kalkbrenner showcased some useful skills that could make him a rotational player for a thin Hornets front line, but there are a few elements of his game that look like they’re going to pose problems. Ultimately, it was a solid showing that seemed pretty emblematic of who Kalkbrenner is.

Final Grade: B