The recently concluded Las Vegas NBA Summer League showed that Ryan Kalkbrenner may not yet be ready to soak up huge minutes at the five for the Charlotte Hornets. Still, his approach to the game should bode well for his prospects of making an impact on the team sooner rather than later.
In an interview with James Plowright of CLTure.org, Kalkbrenner said, "All I've ever really cared about is winning." He also shared that despite having gotten used to taking on a prominent role at Creighton University, his former coach, Greg McDermott, trained him to do "all the little things." Considering that the 23-year-old center might come off the bench for Charlotte, his willingness to not "have to do the big things" should help him craft an integral role with the franchise.
Whether that is a starting bit remains to be seen. The Hornets actually have a huge need for a rim protector in the starting lineup because of the potentially porous perimeter defense that could be caused by fielding LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and whoever ends up starting between Collin Sexton and Kon Knueppel.
Kalkbrenner's interior defense prowess, along with his capability to extend his range outside the arc, should have made the starting job his to lose. Unfortunately, he may still be unprepared for that responsibility.
Ryan Kalkbrenner has to develop quickly if he wants a major role
To be fair, Kalkbrenner showed during Summer League the ability to facilitate the offense with his screens in addition to his penchant for spacing the floor. He also anchored the paint on defense relatively well.
On the other hand, there were times when he wasn't even the Hornets' best big man. That distinction sometimes belonged to PJ Hall, who could have been a useful piece for the squad but instead took advantage of his solid Summer League play to secure a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Kalkbrenner's lack of rebounding panache, slow-footedness on defense, and questionable hands could render him unplayable at times against tougher competition. On the other hand, if he can address those shortcomings, he may be the ideal pivot to use as the last line of defense for stars Ball and Miller.
The good news is that based on Kalkbrenner's interview and what he has shown in his first weeks as a member of the Hornets, he appears to be pretty coachable. If that's the case, it shouldn't be long before he becomes more ready for a heavier workload for Charlotte.