Dream Fit: Suns, Hornets, Celtics

Overall Grade: 55.19

Projected Position: C

Strengths:

• Great base & understanding of leverage

• Affects the game with constant screens

• Good offensive insitgation off dribble handle offs

• Good arm positioning to defend post-ups

• Tall, long & strong

• Good 3pt shot making ability

• Good jump push/jump hook shot

• Efficient

• Uses his length well to disrupt and block shots

• Good spin move in the post

• Good verticality on paint contests

• Uses his length well to shot over guys

• Doesn't foul often

• Flashes of driving ability with long strides from the perimeter

• Good rebounder due to his height & strength

• Large catch radius on lobs

• Good strength when defending shots & drives not allowing himself to get displaced

• Good recovery & hip mobility in the paint to move with players

Weaknesses:

• Doesn't step up to the ball handeler on drop coverage, even when they have a open look

• Can be more disruptive with his strength

• Weak perimeter movement

• Doesn't respect the 3 vs stretch bigs

• Too resistant to helping in the paint

• At times weak seals on rebounds

• Poor speed in adjusting to poor passes

• Bad ball security, gets stripped too often

• Poor timing when contesting perimeter shots

RYAN KALKBRENNER

Position/Archetype: Dirty Work Anchor 5

College: Creighton

Pros:

• Interior Defense: Extremely good interior defender in college, I think its his best skill, Swallow shots, very able anchor in the paint uses his wingspan greatly and uses his advantages being 7'1 and having a 7'5 wingspan. Averaging 3 blocks last season, slightly less this season but had an DRTG of 99 and has been a 4x Big East DPOY, thats defensive Pedigree

• Efficiency: 68 EFG%, extremely efficient scorer on the court, primarily taking easy shots in the pain, high percentage looks but has no problems converting and takes and makes threes at a good percentage although low volume.

• Post Play and touch: He's got a real good touch around the rim, he can convert difficult angled lobs and uses the glass really well, but also moves well in the post to create space and advantages under the rim, utilising his height advantage which won't be as common or useful in the NBA but shows the IQ to identify gaps in opponents.

• Offensive IQ and use in plays: He's a great connective passer, smart enough in plays to create advantages using screens for others, rolls well and pops well creating a lot of space, passes out the post to the perimeter well. Just in general a great player to fit into a system, what is a great swing is how well he will adapt into a new NBA system, but shows everything to be a 1 team long term vet in the league.

• Progressing 3pt Jumper: Improved every year, big swing factor for impact if it translates well but I personally believe it will take a few years before it becomes a consistent asset to his game in the NBA

Cons:

• Mobility: heavy feet, HEAVY FEET, maybe less heavy than Zach Edey has had but yeah he's gonna be slow and heavy footed which will really hurt his perimeter defence on that end as well as the in general movement offensively but if you are worried about Edey in this way your gonna feel a similar motive with Kalkbrenner to maybe a smaller magnitude.

• Shot Creation: Outside of just being given the ball in the post, he doesn't create for himself and Is pretty much served all the plays on a platter, which I don't hate for a center like this and who is so efficient but its something to note that he probably needs a strong creator on the court with him to have a smooth transition.

• Rebounding: low rebounder for someone of such a tall height and wingpspan, you'd expect way more offensive rebounds etc. But he probably needs to put some weight on which usually isn't something you want to say with an older prospect so I don't think this is something that will develop.

• Age: 23, old guy and I really cant see too much development from this guy to where he looks better than he does right now in college, this is why I cant really see him breaking into being a starter or a consistent starter at that for the majority of his career, why I regard him as a long term bench roleplaying center, a very valuable type of player.

NBA Pro Comp: Luke Kornet, Walker Kessler with worse Mobility

Projection: Probably a consistent Bench centre, long NBA career ahead for him

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Reigning 3-time Big East DPOY. That says enough about his rim protecting. He scores well inside and has good coordination for a guy his size.

NBA Comp: If he can score from outside the lane more, he reminds me of Holmgren.

Comp: Brook Lopez/Zach Edey/Luka Garza

• 34.4% 3PT shooter on 1.7 attempts per game on primarily wide open looks

• not a major threat from the midrange yet at only 34%

• solid contact finisher, uses his body well to seal trailing defenders

• bad on-ball playmaker and passer; prone to forcing bad shots in traffic and fails to find openings out of double teams and cutters. will more often record a turnover/bad shot than make the right play when pressured.

• really good screen setter

• good rebounder

• extremely good drop defender and will likely be one of the class’ best pure rim protectors right away. anchored a 96th percentile rim defense and is hardly fouls despite being an elite shot blocker

• extremely slow mover; foot speed is terrible and lacks about every type of athleticism

• 68% free throw shooter at 23

Kalkbrenner is a throwback 7-footer who owns the paint, swatting shots with his giant wingspan and dunking everything in sight. It’s a bit strange he isn’t a better rebounder. But as a super senior, he’s also developed some sneaky passing and shooting skills that hint at higher upside.

Pros:

Interior scoring

Connective passing

Shooting upside

Rim protection

Cons:

Shot creation

Rebounding

Mobility

Comparisons: Jakob Poeltl, Walker Kessler

(25/5) TBC

23 YO giant with big rim protection and finishing.

High level rim protector, one of the best in CBB. 4x Big East DPOY. Guys are really scared of him around the rim.

Zach Edey's success will help him, but even then Kalkbrenner might be more slow-footed and clumsy-looking.

Really efficient; 80% around the rim. Great touch and used his strength well. Can convert on difficult angles and has good footwork. Further out he shows a lot of ability, 34% from 3 on 61 attempts in his senior year.

Outside of the post he can't create his own shot. Not a big concern, but a limiter on his potential.

Second tallest player at the combine. 7'1 without shoes, 7'6 wingspan, with big hands. Good vertical too, both standing (29") and max (33").

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