Now that the dust has settled a bit surrounding the start of free agency, I think we have a moment to catch our breath and revisit the draft one more time before summer league starts. Last week, we got to know the Charlotte Hornets’ two first round picks, [Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley](https://atthehive.com/2025/06/29/get-to-know-the-charlotte-hornets-first-round-picks/). Both players play the same position and have a somewhat similar play style. Both can shoot it from deep and have a good feel for the game.
The Hornets branched out with their second round picks and went after different play styles. They drafted another guard/wing in Sion James, sending the people into a panic about the lack of depth at the center position. They remedied that by taking Ryan Kalkbrenner with the next pick.
Sion James is the yin to Knueppel and McNeeley’s yang. The latter two are one-and-done players with enticing offensive traits. James is a 22 year old defensive engine that functions more as a connector than a feature piece on offense. He worked on his shot throughout his five year college career and became a reliable catch-and shoot guy over his last two seasons. He’s a low volume shooter, but he takes looks when they’re there and is enough of a threat to be respected by opposing defenses.
While he’s not a lead guard or primary shot creator, James has a good handle and takes care of the ball. His 2.9 assists to 1.2 turnovers per game is a fantastic ratio for a secondary ball handler. He’s unselfish and is quick to make the extra pass to set a teammate up for an open look. Knueppel was the beneficiary of a lot of “one more” passes from James on the perimeter. We’ll get to see more of that in Summer League.
James’s defense is what got him drafted. He’s built like a linebacker and uses all of the athletic traits that come with that build. He can guard most positions thanks to his combination quick feet, technique, and strength. He clearly takes a lot of pride on this side of the floor given how much attention he devotes to his technique and positioning both on and off the ball. He has the traits to be a menacing point of attack defender.
Ryan Kalkbrenner had been on Hornets fans’ wish list for most of the pre-draft process. He’s always seemed like a natural fit for a team that’s been gutting themselves of their center depth. After coming off the bench as a freshman, Kalkbrenner started for the next four years and won Big East Defensive Player of the Year in all of those years. He’s very large and gets off the floor quickly, so he blocks a ton of shots. He’s not the most nimble fella, so he’s going to be forced into a lot of drop coverage, but he has the length and instincts to make that work.
On offense, Kalkbrenner is a play finisher. He dunks everything thanks to his aforementioned leaping ability and size. When he’s not dunking the ball, he still seems to make almost everything he throws up at the rim, contested or not. At the college level, he was able to bully smaller players for easy looks at the rim without having to use too many tricks. That won’t be a big part of his game at the NBA level, but it could at least be a deterrent for teams going small or a way to pick on mismatches. And to top it all off, he’s shown a nascent ability to knock down threes. He’s got to be stronger as a rebounder and offensive decision maker, but there is a lot to like here as a rotational center.
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