Charlotte Hornets second round NBA Draft target: Ryan Kalkbrenner

The gigantic center measured in at 7'1" at the NBA combine with a lengthy 7'6" wingspan. He utilizes every centimeter of his size on both ends of the floor, operating as a rim protecting, glass cleaning defensive hub while flashing solid footwork, soft hands, buttery touch, and a massive catch radius on offense. As a whole, Kalkbrenner boasts an intriguing profile as the type of two-way big man that NBA teams lean on for long stretches of playoff games.

As a super-senior at Creighton, the four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year clocked a 7.3% block rate, an elite number that proves his dominance at the rim. On the offensive side, Kalkbrenner connected on 75.7% of rim attempts as a senior, including 85 dunks.

Impressively, Kalkbrenner only committed 1.6 fouls per 40 minutes: a testament to his dominance as a paint protector.

He's a mountain of a man, allowing him the ability to create good position in the post to go to work against smaller defenders. Kalkbrenner admittedly 'could hardly walk and chew gum at the same time,' but he improved into a gentle giant of sorts that is light on his feet as he dances around with his fancy footwork on offense.

While there are plenty of things to like about Kalkbrenner, there are bright red flags as well.

First, at 23-years-old, Kalkbrenner will be one of the oldest players in this class of draftees. He'll be best served as a day one impact player on a contending team due to his high floor and lack of long-term upside. That may be antithetical to what many think Charlotte's draft plan will, or should, be, but remember they drafted 22-year-old college senior K.J. Simpson last summer.

Along with his age concerns, Kalkbrenner isn't the smoothest mover at 7'1". The aforementioned Charles Lee coached two-way bigs, Horford, Porzingis, etc., are nimble enough to slide their feet and contain guards on the perimeter for stretches, but Kalkbrenner won't afford his coach the option to use him as a switch defender.

On defense, the Creighton product will be forced to operate predominantly in drop coverage in the pick and roll, forcing opposing guards to step into long-range jumpers depending on how the guard plays the action. Although Kalkbrenner will be a solid rim protector in the NBA, he'll struggle to defend in space like most young big men do. However, having one elite skill on defense is workable, unlike the seven footers who struggle both in space and at the rim.

Kalkbrenner's fit in Charlotte

Of all the potential late-first, early-second round draft targets for Charlotte, Kalkbrenner is near the top of my hypothetical big board. His two-way versatility (albeit with some warts) as a college player is scalable to the NBA level, and while Kalkbrenner is far from a perfect center prospect, his interior play on both ends of the floor will surely translate.

The big swing skill for Kalkbrenner, his three-point jumper (he shot 21/61 as a fifth-year senior after making 16/54 as a true senior) will define his NBA career. As long as he is somebody that needs to be accounted for as a three-point shooter, he will have a place in an NBA rotation, and I believe that is his destiny.

If Jeff Peterson moves Mark Williams or Jusuf Nurkic this offseason, Kalkbrenner would be the ideal cheap replacement for the extension-eligible or high-earning centers Charlotte currently employs.

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