The topic of discussion all offseason for Charlotte Hornets fans was the center position, and which of the three currently rostered centers is going to be the best bet for this team in the upcoming regular season. As of right now, Ryan Kalkbrenner is making quite the case for himself.
Moussa Diabate and Mason Plumlee are going to continue to bring their own unique strengths and make their own meaningful contributions to this team as well, but Kalkbrenner has certainly impressed many to this point. In his first preseason start against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, Ryan put up a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double while making all seven of his shot attempts.
It was the kind of performance that served as a reminder of how league-ready Kalkbrenner is. Playing five years at the collegiate level can often have that effect. Getting him with the 34th-overall pick this past June was seen as a steal of a pick basically right away, and now Ryan is proving he may be ready to make a more immediate impact sooner than expected.
Kalkbrenner is already looking NBA-ready
Two of the things that were most promising about Kalkbrenner's skillset as a college prospect were his track record of defensive dominance and scoring efficiency. Ryan built a strong pedigree as an elite interior defender at Creighton, constantly deterring opponents' shots and blocking attempts at the rim.
He did it while retaining poise offensively and never shooting below 64% from the floor in any of his five college seasons. Kalkbrenner is a strong finisher in the paint and has the physical tools to give even NBA defenses fits at times. We saw that on full display with him matched up against the likes of Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, Cooper Flagg and others on Saturday.
All these qualities have made him a very interesting prospect in Charlotte since he was drafted, but Ryan seems to really be embracing his opportunities and living up to the hype early. This is an especially exciting development for a Hornets fanbase that's still waiting to see a high-ceiling center prospect pan out in the Queen City.
The starting center spot has seemingly been a revolving door for the Hornets ever since Big Al Jefferson left town in 2016. Mark Williams was thought to finally be the long-term solution, but things change quickly in the NBA. It's still early, but Kalkbrenner is on the fast track to putting Charlotte's center concerns behind them if he keeps this up.