The Charlotte Hornets entered this season under scrutiny for how they handled the center position during the offseason. Charlotte traded away two rotation bigs—Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns and Jusuf Nurkic to the Utah Jazz—moves that fueled concerns about interior depth and long-term stability at the five.
To address the hole, the Hornets selected Ryan Kalkbrenner out of Creighton in the second round and brought back veteran Mason Plumlee, hoping he could provide stability, depth and a positive locker-room presence. Early returns suggest the Hornets’ decisions may have been far more sound than initially believed.
Not only did Charlotte net two first-round picks in the Williams trade, but the team also appears to have found a potential long-term answer at center in Kalkbrenner. Despite being a rookie, Kalkbrenner has started every game this season and made an immediate impact on both ends. Through 11 games, he is averaging 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, ranking second in the NBA in blocks and first in field-goal percentage.
Meanwhile, Moussa Diabate has surged as a key contributor off the bench. The energetic forward is averaging 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, including a standout performance against the Milwaukee Bucks in which he recorded 13 rebounds, eight of them on the offensive glass.
Thanks to Kalkbrenner, Diabate and strong rebounding efforts from Miles Bridges, Charlotte now ranks sixth in defensive rebounds and seventh in total rebounds leaguewide—an impressive turnaround for a unit many expected to struggle.
The Hornets will return to action Friday in a rematch against the Milwaukee Bucks, looking to continue their interior dominance.
More Hornets news:
- Pat Connaughton scores season high facing former Bucks teammates
- Kon Knueppel follows career high with near triple-double vs. Lakers
- Hornets rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner shines one day after becoming a father
- Kon Knueppel scores career-high 30 in Hornets’ loss to Heat