For years, the Charlotte Hornets cycled through a revolving door at center — patchwork stopgaps, undersized placeholders, and promising prospects who never fully stuck. But four games into the 2025–26 season, that narrative has flipped. The Hornets suddenly have two legitimate answers in the middle, and both are playing too well to ignore.
Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner have each delivered early-season performances that would earn starting nods on several rebuilding teams. For Charlotte, that creates something rare: an actual positional battle that’s energizing the locker room, challenging rotations, and, maybe most importantly, pushing both players toward their ceilings.
Diabate putting brilliance and athleticism on full display
If Diabate’s first few games have felt like a revelation, that’s because they are. The 23-year-old forward has been everywhere — on the glass, in passing lanes, at the rim, and even sprinting in transition. Through three games, he’s averaging 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in just over 20 minutes, while shooting a blistering 63.6 percent from the field.
He opened the season with a relentless 13-point, 9-rebound performance against Brooklyn, followed it with a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks) against Washington, and in each appearance has played with a kinetic energy that feels contagious. Diabate’s rebounding instincts and second-jump explosiveness have fueled a Hornets frontcourt that, for the first time in years, isn’t getting bullied on the boards.
“He changes possessions,” head coach Charles Lee said after the Wizards win. “He creates chaos — the good kind — and gives us life on both ends.”
Defensively, Diabate’s switchability has become his calling card. He’s quick enough to contest guards on the perimeter and long enough to bother traditional bigs around the rim. The flip side? His aggression sometimes leads to foul trouble, and he’s still learning when to push tempo versus when to secure and reset. But the flashes — the rim runs, the putbacks, the vertical finishes — are the kind of sequences that make coaches willing to live with growing pains.
The rookie with old-school reliability
If Diabate plays like a spark plug, Ryan Kalkbrenner feels like a stabilizer. The 7-1 rookie out of Creighton has wasted no time translating his collegiate dominance to the NBA. Through four games, he’s averaging 9.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game on an absurd 90.5 percent shooting. He's only missed two of his 21 field-goal attempts.
Kalkbrenner made an immediate statement on opening night, recording a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double against the Nets, and has since tallied two nights going perfect from the floor — a 7--7 shooting night versus the Sixers, and a 5-5 performance against the Heat. His efficiency stems from impeccable timing, positioning, and decision-making. He doesn’t force touches; he finishes everything within arm’s reach.
What stands out most isn’t just his touch — it’s his composure. Kalkbrenner screens with purpose, rotates on time, and defends without overcommitting. His presence has given the Hornets a legitimate anchor, someone who communicates on defense and provides the kind of rim deterrence that’s been missing since the Al Jefferson era.
“He’s steady,” Lee said after the Philadelphia tiff. “You know what you’re getting every possession.”
Kalkbrenner’s main challenge will be adapting to NBA speed — quicker bigs have occasionally pulled him away from the paint — and developing chemistry with the starting guards. But the Hornets already see him as a foundational piece, not a project.
A good problem to have
So who starts? That’s the question, and it’s not as simple as picking the "best player.”
Diabate gives Charlotte a jolt of athleticism, versatility, and chaos — perfect for small-ball or switch-heavy lineups. Kalkbrenner offers a more traditional center archetype, pairing size, efficiency, and rim protection with LaMelo Ball’s pick-and-roll artistry.
Charles Lee appears content to play it situationally — Diabate against five-out or fast-paced opponents, Kalkbrenner against teams with true post presences. It’s the kind of flexible strategy that could quietly elevate Charlotte’s defensive identity while preserving both players’ strengths.
And the team’s metrics back up the value of both. The Hornets are rebounding seven percent better and allowing nearly five fewer points in the paint per 100 possessions when either is on the floor compared to last season’s averages.
For the Hornets, this isn’t a dilemma — it’s progress. After years of scrambling to find competence at center, they suddenly have two players worthy of the job. Diabate brings chaos and athleticism. Kalkbrenner brings calm and control. Together, they represent two sides of a modern frontcourt — one explosive, one precise, both valuable.
Charlotte doesn’t need to rush a decision. The best answer might be to embrace the question itself.
For once, the Hornets’ problem at center isn’t who can play it. It’s who deserves to start. And that’s a question they should be thrilled to keep asking all season long.