Just hours after welcoming his firstborn child, Ryan Kalkbrenner registered a perfect performance to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kalkbrenner produced 17 points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots and one assist in the 111-100 victory at the Spectrum Center. He finished by shooting 8-of-8 from the field in 26 minutes as the Hornets (4-7) snapped a three-game losing streak.
The 34th pick in the draft became the fourth rookie in franchise history to score at least 15 points on 100% shooting from the field, joining Brad Miller, Mark Williams and Cody Zeller. He is the first to do so while recording three or more blocks.
“My teammates do a great job of finding me when I have an easy dump off or an easy lob or something,” Kalkbrenner said. “I’m just trying to take advantage of the shots they give me.”
Kalkbrenner is now averaging 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and one steal on 83.3% shooting from the field (50-of-60). He has the best field-goal percentage by any player through the first 11 games of a career since the NBA-ABA merger, according to Stathead.
The 23-year-old has started each game for the Hornets and provided strong production in that role, thanks to his post scoring and rebounding ability. He has served as a tremendous lob threat, while also cleaning up the glass at a high level.
“He stays within himself,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said of Kalkbrenner. “He is not trying to do too much. I think that he understands what his role is and where he needs to be on the floor. … He does a great job of seeing our guys drive and what direction they are going, and he is circling under and making it tough on defenders. The fact that he is shooting such a good percentage is a testament to him, but also his teammates trusting him down there and finding him.”
Kalkbrenner was a late addition to the injury report heading into the contest after his wife, Rachael Saunders, gave birth to their daughter on Tuesday night. He was eventually upgraded to be available to play by the team about 1 1/2 hours before tip off.
Fresh off a restless night after playing the role of parent for the first time, the 7-footer was encouraged by Rachael to suit up against the Bucks. The performance likely only further added to the whirlwind that was the past 48 hours for the family.
“I was taking it minute-by-minute, and I wasn’t even the one doing any of the work,” Kalkbrenner said. “My wife did a great job. I’m glad I was able to be there and support her. She loves watching games, so she was like, ‘I think you should play tonight. It could be a good distraction to watch the games.’ It has been a crazy 24-30 hours, whatever it has been. But definitely the best couple of days of my life.”