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The Charlotte Hornets dropped their second straight game on Thursday night, losing to the Orlando Magic 123–107 in a Southeast Division matchup. Turnovers plagued Charlotte throughout the night, as the Hornets committed 21 in total. Four of the five starters recorded three or more turnovers, while the fifth, Sion James, added two. Sixth man Collin Sexton also committed three turnovers off the bench.
LaMelo Ball continued his strong start to the season, nearly posting another triple-double. The All-Star guard finished with 17 points, 13 assists, seven rebounds and two steals. With those steals, Ball moved into 10th place on the Hornets’ all-time steals list, surpassing Terry Rozier.
However, the night once again belonged to a Hornets rookie — this time, second-round pick Ryan Kalkbrenner. The former Creighton center impressed on both ends, scoring 17 points and grabbing seven rebounds while shooting 8-for-9 from the field.
Kalkbrenner’s efficiency has been remarkable through the early part of the season. Among all qualified NBA players entering Thursday’s game, he led the league in field goal percentage at 90.5 percent. Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler ranks second at 75 percent, while Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is third at 69.5 percent.
Charlotte has shown flashes of improvement early this year, with its deep rookie class contributing across the board. If the Hornets hope to end their 10-year playoff drought, they will need continued production from emerging players like Kalkbrenner and fellow rookie Kon Knueppel.
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