In a major surprise, the Charlotte Hornets' Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will make his season debut on Jan. 29 against the Portland Trail Blazers, the team announced. It will be the first time he suits up after undergoing surgery on a dislocated shoulder in October.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to make season debut against Blazers
Kidd-Gilchrist was expected to miss nearly the entire season with a shoulder injury. Instead, he’s returning in late January.
Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
After injuring his shoulder in the Hornets' opening preseason game, Kidd-Gilchrist had surgery the following day. Initially, his timeline for recovery was set at six months, and even that seemed optimistic. There were rumors that he was ahead of schedule since the middle of January, which proved to be true. Kidd-Gilchrist will end up returning more than a month sooner than expected.
This past offseason, Charlotte signed Kidd-Gilchrist to a four-year, $52-million contract, despite going through several different injury issues in his career. Kidd-Gilchrist missed 27 games with a foot injury at the end of the 2014-15 season and also suffered a concussion in 2013-14 that forced him to sit out games. If the health issues persist, a contract that at one point looked like a bargain could come back to haunt the Hornets.
There are questions about how Kidd-Gilchrist, who has taken just 18 three-pointers in his three-year career, will fit into Steve Clifford’s revamped style, with more emphasis on offensive spacing and outside shooting. In the past, he has made up for his lack of range with offensive rebounding and cutting, but that might not be enough in the new offense.
There are no doubts about the impact he could have on the other end, however. Kidd-Gilchrist is a premier defender and rebounder. His presence in the perimeter, along with Nicolas Batum's, will make scoring harder than ever for the Hornets' opponents.
Kidd-Gilchrist averages nine points, six rebounds and one assist per game for his career.
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