Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Out for personal reasons
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (personal) is out for Friday's game against the Bucks.
Kalkbrenner won't be available for the first time this season Friday. The rookie second-rounder has a short turnaround if he wants to rejoin the team for Saturday's showdown with the Thunder. Moussa Diabate stands out as the most likely option to replace Kalkbrenner in the starting group against Milwaukee, with Mason Plumlee also in position to pick up additional minutes.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Enjoys perfect shooting night
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Kalkbrenner totaled 17 points (8-8 FG, 1-1 FT), nine rebounds, three blocks and one steal over 27 minutes during Wednesday's 111-100 victory over the Bucks.
Kalkbrenner made the most of every offensive opportunity in this one, failing to miss a single shot on the night. He made an impact on the glass as well, falling just one rebound shy of his third double-double on the season. Kalkbrenner has been a steady contributor in the scoring and rebounding categories lately, averaging 11.5 points on 87.0 percent shooting from the field and 7.3 rebounds in 25.8 minutes over his last four games.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Good to go
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (personal) is available for Wednesday's game against Milwaukee.
Kalkbrenner was previously listed as questionable due to personal reasons, but the rookie center will suit up and play Wednesday. He's logged four blocks in four of his past five games, and he's averaging 7.4 points and 6.0 rebounds during that stretch.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Iffy for Wednesday
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (personal reasons) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Bucks.
Kalkbrenner was a very late addition to the injury report. The rookie has had a terrific start to the campaign with averages of 9.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.3 blocks in 26.6 minutes per contest. If he's unable to play, Moussa Diabate would likely be the next man up in Charlotte, and it's possible that Mason Plumlee could be involved as well.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Quiet in loss
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Kalkbrenner racked up nine points (3-4 FG, 3-3 FT) and four rebounds over 19 minutes during Monday's 121-111 loss to the Lakers.
Kalkbrenner logged yet another efficient shooting performance, getting his season averages to 9.2 points on 80.8 percent from the field, but he was unable to record a steal or block for just the second time. The rookie center has been a defensive anchor for Charlotte, averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.0 steals so far. While Kalkbrenner has started every game this season, Moussa Diabate started the second half of Monday's contest, and Kalkbrenner finished with a season-low 19 minutes.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Double-double with four blocks
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Kalkbrenner racked up 10 points (4-4 FG, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, four blocks and one steal in 30 minutes during Tuesday's 116-112 loss to the Pelicans.
Kalkbrenner recorded the second double-double of his young career, adding four blocks for the third straight game. Despite some early-season conjecture surrounding Kalkbrenner's role, he has quickly established himself as the starting center in Charlotte. Through eight games, he is averaging 9.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.4 blocks, good enough for top 50 value in standard leagues.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Cleared to play Sunday
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (personal) is available for Sunday's game against Utah.
Kalkbrenner will shed his questionable tag due to personal reasons and play in the second leg of the team's back-to-back set. The rookie big man has been extremely efficient through six regular-season games, averaging 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 85.3 percent from the field in 27.8 minutes per contest.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Questionable for Sunday
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (personal) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jazz.
Kalkbrenner was a late addition to Sunday's injury report due to personal reasons. The rookie has started all six games so far this season, and if he's unavailable, Moussa Diabate and Mason Plumlee will handle the bulk of the center minutes.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Scores 17 points with three swats
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Kalkbrenner notched 17 points (8-9 FG, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 32 minutes during Thursday's 123-107 loss to the Magic.
Kalkbrenner set a new career-high in points in this one, and this was his third game of the season in which he only missed one shot. He currently leads the league in field goal percentage, draining 90 percent of his shot attempts to go with averages of 11.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.4 swats per contest, which has him hovering inside the top-60 on the year.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Tallies three steals
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Kalkbrenner posted 10 points (5-5 FT), six rebounds, three steals and one block in 31 minutes during Tuesday's 144-117 loss to the Heat.
Kalkbrenner went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field on the way to his third double-digit scoring performance of his young NBA career. It was a promising sign to see the rookie bounce back after he was held to four points Sunday against Washington. Kalkbrenner was also productive on the defensive end by racking up a season-high three steals, clearly playing at a level above Moussa Diabate, who has been hot on his heels for the starting center spot.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Lackluster performance in win
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Kalkbrenner posted four points (2-3 FG), five rebounds and an assist across 22 minutes in Sunday's 139-113 win over the Wizards.
Kalkbrenner was outperformed by fellow big man Moussa Diabate, who is also competing for minutes and the starting role. While the rookie has certainly been efficient shooting the ball (14-for-16 from the field over his first three games), not getting to the free-throw line and shooting three-pointers are certainly hurting his value. It is possible Kalkbrenner may have been a victim of game script, as the Hornets built a massive lead that resulted in benches being cleared, but if he wants to retain his starting role and minutes, he has to perform better.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Goes for 14 and 7 in loss to Philly
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Kalkbrenner finished Saturday's 125-121 loss to the 76ers with 14 points (7-7 FG), seven rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 26 minutes.
Over two games thus far, Kalkbrenner has missed only one field-goal attempt (12-13 FG) in his 53 combined minutes. The rookie out of Creighton has been the starter in each of those contests, and he'll look to keep up his solid start to the 2025-26 season against the Wizards on Sunday night in D.C.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Double-double in debut
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Kalkbrenner supplied 10 points (5-6 FG), 11 rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 27 minutes during Wednesday's 136-117 win over Brooklyn.
Kalkbrenner earned the start in his regular-season debut Wednesday and made the most of it, recording his first career double-double in a solid showing. The 2025 second-round pick was a dominant defensive and interior presence during his time at Creighton, so his early impact at the NBA level isn't overly surprising despite his draft position. Notably, Kalkbrenner logged six more minutes than fellow center Moussa Diabate, while Mason Plumlee didn't see any court time.
Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Not starting vs. New York
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner is not in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason game against the Knicks.
Kalkbrenner will make way for Moussa Diabate at center in this preseason finale. The rookie out of Creighton has turned heads in preseason with his play, so he may have a solid grip on a rotation spot once the regular season begins against the Nets on Wednesday.
Kalkbrenner finished with 14 points (7-7 FG), 10 rebounds, one assist and one block across 25 minutes during Saturday's 120-116 preseason win over the Mavericks.
Kalkbrenner was incredibly efficient as a starter, as he was flawless from the field, hitting all seven of his field-goal attempts. The rookie center continues to make an impression during the preseason, which could result in more time on the floor for the Creighton product once the regular season gets underway.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Starting vs. Dallas
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner is in the starting lineup for Saturday's preseason game against the Mavericks, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Kalkbrenner has shown some promising signs in the preseason, and the coaching staff has rewarded the rookie with a start here. This means Moussa Diabate will head to the bench.
