Ryan Kalkbrenner on Improvements in Year Two, the Art of Being a Good Defensive Center, and more

The New England Patriots' dynasty was built on a singular pillar: "Do your job."

Yes, they were captained by one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, shepherded by one of the greatest coaches of all-time, and employed dozens of All-Pro talents on both sides of the ball, but they don't win six Lombardi trophies without organizational buy-in from the bottom to the top.

The little things stacking up to create advantages on a weekly basis.

The same is true about great NBA teams. It takes 15 players, a handful of coaches, and a well-rounded front office staff doing their jobs to make a great team.

Backup center for the Charlotte Hornets Ryan Kalkbrenner exemplifies this. His game isn't flashy, it doesn't garner any headlines, but it's effective. He just does his job.

Kalkbrenner exceeded expectations as a rookie. Picked 34th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, the former Creighton Blue Jay was expected to be the third-string center behind Mason Plumlee and Moussa Diabate, left to fight for scraps in terms of playing time in year one.

Instead, he was the opening night starter for the Hornets, played 69 games, and graded out among the best defensive centers in the league by some catch-all metrics.

Heading into his sophomore season in the NBA, Kalkbrenner sat down with Charlotte Hornets on SI for an exclusive interview to discuss his preparations for the season, the new personnel on the team, and the art of being a great defensive center.

The last two years have brought as much change for you as one can imagine. You graduated college, got married, got drafted, moved to Charlotte, had your first kid...How are you settling in ahead of year two in the NBA?

Kalkbrenner: "It's been good to have a mostly normal summer where I'm not running around or having some big change. I'm feeling a lot more settled this year than last year, obviously. Not having to move and all that, so I'm feeling a lot more comfortable here."

There's been a lot of upheaval on the roster around you. Do you feel like your role is going to change al all heading into year two? And if so, how?

Kalkbrenner: "I don't know. I leave that up to the coaches to decide. I just try to do what they ask me to in terms of what to get better on. I just go and attack that every day, and whatever role they ask me to play, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability and try to help the team out."

Versatility in the frontcourt seems to be a buzzword that I've heard from a number of folks this morning. With you, Moussa, Hannes, Grant, and Naz Reid, a lot of different skill sets...What's it like going up against those guys in practice every day?

Kalkbrenner: "I think it's really good for not just me but all of us. One game I might have to guard Moussa and he plays a totally different way than Hannes. Then I'm playing the next game against Hannes and I have to change what I'm thinking about on the court. Then I might have to guard Naz for short stretches."

"I think it's really good for me and my development because I see all these different looks, which is what's going to happen during the year. You're going to face different teams with different things they're trying to do, and I feel a little more prepared because I've had different looks all summer."

How do you feel you're a different player now than you were this time last summer? And where do you want your game to be a year from now?

Kalkbrenner: "I think compared to last year, I'm playing more physically, which was a big thing the coaches wanted me to do. I think I've done a good job with that. I think the other thing I feel better about is my confidence."

"Just feeling more comfortable has helped with that. I know the system well, and I know the people well. I think just moving forward, going into next year, I want to keep building on those same things. I want to play even more physically, be even more comfortable and confident and go from there."

For the average fan, it's harder to quantify good defensive player is compared to a good offensive player because it's not as flashy. In your opinion, what does it look like to be a good defensive center?

Kalkbrenner: "I think even being a good defensive center can look different than being a good defensive guard. Sometimes you get the guards and they're pressuring the ball, and that's good stuff, but sometimes it's even more flashy than the center who is standing by the paint and communicating everything to the rest of the defense and making sure everyone is in the right spot. It's harder to see that but it's a really important job."

"That's something I try to do a lot of: just be the anchor of the defense. Help everyone else out, be in the right spot, do the right things, and execute the coverages we want to execute."

Are there centers in the league that you feel like you can model your game after on the defensive end?

Kalkbrenner: "I don't know if there's one guy I do that for. I think the defensive side of the ball has been my thing for so long, so I just have a pretty good feel for myself and what makes me a good defender. I try to build on the things that make me a good defender and what I need to do to help the team."

What are those things that make you a good defender?

Kalkbrenner: "Communication is a big one, and just understanding what we're doing on defense. I got to know what I have to do, but I also need to know what the guards have to do so I can help them and communicate to them what's going on."

"Sometimes for a guard it's hard to see everything going on around the perimeter, so you need the guys behind you to talk that out and tell you what's going on so you can be in the right position."

"Also just me myself being in the right spot. That takes away a lot of stuff that a fan might never even see happening because a play never develops because I'm in a certain spot. Those are the two things I take a lot of pride in."

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