The Charlotte Hornets found their Mark Williams replacement right away in the second round as they selected Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner with the 34th Pick. This is a perfect replacement for Mark Williams as Kalkbrenner is a great defender and can bring the size that the Hornets need to fill the void that Williams left behind with his departure to the Suns on Wednesday Night. Here are more detailed thoughts on the Kalkbrenner pick for the Hornets.
Kalkbrenner Stats
Kalkbrenner averaged 19.2 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, 1.5 assists per game, and 2.7 blocks per game in 2024-25 for Creighton. The Creighton center had career highs in points, rebounds, and blocks per game in his fifth-year season. If he can carry that performance over to the NBA, the Hornets are going to have a great defensive asset at center that won’t have any issues early on like Williams did.
The Hornets are in a great spot with plenty of wing competition in this draft with McNeeley, Knueppel, and Sion James, to go along with Ball and Miller in the backcourt. So, grabbing Kalkbrenner is a good option to have at center to maybe win the starting job, depending on how he does in the Summer League.
Final Thoughts
The Charlotte Hornets are going to be a fun team to watch in 2025-26 if everyone stays healthy, but probably not going to be a playoff team. Kalkbrenner is a great addition to this core in the long run, as he is probably an NBA-ready center after his five years with the Bluejays. I love the fit, now they just have to develop and try to win some games moving forward with the progress of the rebuild. Total Apex Sports has more NBA Draft Stories on the Site for more eyeballs, as all 30 selections from the first round are on the site.
