Ryan Kalkbrenner Opens Year Two With Mixed Minutes for the Hornets
Ryan Kalkbrenner has played four games to open the 2026-27 season for the Hornets, splitting time at center with uneven results. He is not on the injury report. The 7-1 big man is coming off a rookie season in which he appeared in 69 games for Charlotte.
By the Hornets Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightFour Games InKalkbrenner has logged four games so far this season.
Kalkbrenner has logged four games so far this season. On October 16 against Memphis he had 2 points and 3 rebounds in 15.7 minutes in a loss, with a minus-16 plus/minus. Two nights earlier against Boston, also a loss, he scored 7 points with 3 rebounds in 18.8 minutes, finishing at minus-9. The Hornets beat Milwaukee on October 11, and Kalkbrenner contributed 4 points and 5 rebounds in 12.2 minutes with a plus-10 mark, his best plus/minus of the stretch. In the opener on October 6 against Brooklyn, a loss, he had 2 points and 2 rebounds in 15.3 minutes at minus-8. No assists have shown up in the box score yet across those four outings.
02Health ReportKalkbrenner is not on the injury report.
Kalkbrenner is not on the injury report. There is no injury history on file for him. For a center who plays through contact at the rim, that clean sheet matters heading into a full season of minutes. Nothing in his recent game log points to a physical issue limiting him; his minutes have ranged from 12.2 to 18.8 across the four games played, which looks more like a rotation and matchup question than anything related to health. Charlotte will take a healthy frontcourt piece as it sorts out its center rotation in the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season.
03Last Season by the NumbersKalkbrenner played 69 games for Charlotte last season, averaging 21.4 minutes, 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.8…
Kalkbrenner played 69 games for Charlotte last season, averaging 21.4 minutes, 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.5 blocks, with 0.9 turnovers a game. He shot 75.3 percent from the field, did not attempt enough from three to register above 0.0 percent, and shot 71.6 percent from the foul line. His true shooting percentage was 76.2, with a usage rate of 11.3 percent and a plus-minus of 0.7. Those numbers describe a low-usage, high-efficiency big man who finishes what he's given near the basket and protects the rim, rather than someone asked to create his own offense.
04From Creighton to CharlotteKalkbrenner wears number 11 for the Hornets and stands 7-1, 256 pounds, playing center at age 24.
Kalkbrenner wears number 11 for the Hornets and stands 7-1, 256 pounds, playing center at age 24. He came to the NBA out of Creighton and has one season of experience in the league, all of it with Charlotte. His size at 7-1 and 256 pounds fits the traditional center mold, and last season's rebounding and shot-blocking numbers, 5.5 boards and 1.5 blocks a game, reflect that frame being used as intended: protecting the rim and cleaning up the glass rather than stretching the floor or creating shots.
05What's NextWith four games down in the 2026-27 season, Kalkbrenner's minutes have bounced between the low teens and high teens,…
With four games down in the 2026-27 season, Kalkbrenner's minutes have bounced between the low teens and high teens, suggesting Charlotte is still figuring out how much to lean on him early. His one positive plus-minus game of the stretch came in the win over Milwaukee, when he played 12.2 minutes and posted 4 points and 5 rebounds. The three losses in that stretch, against Memphis, Boston and Brooklyn, all came with him in the red on plus-minus. Last season's efficiency marks, 75.3 percent shooting and a 76.2 true shooting percentage, give Charlotte reason to keep feeding him minutes near the rim as the schedule rolls on.
Kalkbrenner7.6 ppg
Hayes7.5 ppg
