A center rotation of Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabaté might be the least recognizable by name in the entire NBA. Neither player is anything close to a household name (unless your household is in Omaha or Ann Arbor) but fame is irrelevant to their on-court production, which has been about as good as the Hornets could ask for through two weeks of the NBA season.
At Creighton, Kalkbrenner was the four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Four! The historically good rim protection Kalkbrenner demonstrated in college has immediately translated to the pro game, as his 2.1 blocks per game are third in the league. His 1.3 steals per game is tied for No. 9 among centers, and his 81.1% field goal percentage leads the league, although something tells me that might not be sustainable.
Diabaté, meanwhile, is now in his second season with the Hornets, and is showing more offensive skill than he did last season, when he became a fan favorite for his relentless hustle and defensive versatility. Both of those things are still evident too, though, and they all combine to make Diabaté suddenly a pretty promising prospect.
In his fourth NBA season, but still only 23 years old, he would be a huge developmental win for the Hornets if he can be a consistently reliable role player, which he's well on his way to becoming. His energy alone is enough to keep him on the court — and get bear-hugged by his head coach.
Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabaté are a solid one-two punch
They may not have the scoring upside that other center rotations do around the league, but Kalk and Moose, as they're referred to by Hornets fans, have produced at a pretty high level in the early going this year.
After taking Mark Williams No. 15 overall in 2022, the Hornets hoped they had their center of the future. But Williams never quite materialized as the front office envisioned, and the team shipped him to Phoenix this summer.
In his place stepped two unknowns, and each has surprised fans in their own way. It would be somewhat poetic if the Hornets, after trying and failing to find their center for so many years, finally found two stars at the position almost by accident.
Neither guy is ever going to be a go-to offensive option. That's just not their games. But with how uncertain the center position was for this team heading into the season, both guys have already smashed expectations and with both of them being so young, the best is likely yet to come.