The season hasn't even reached the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season yet, and injuries are starting to pile up. And as far as the Charlotte Hornets are concerned, the shoulder injury of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could be huge.
The usual starting small forward for the Hornets suffered a torn labrum and dislocated his shoulder that may keep him out for a minimum of six months. That time frame is, of course, a conservative estimate, meaning Kidd-Gilchrist could end up missing the entire 2015–16 NBA season.
Kidd-Gilchrist had the option to forego surgery, but the looming fate of possibly re-injuring his shoulder was in the air. Hence, he decided to undergo the medical procedure Tuesday.
With the second overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft sidelined, the Hornets find themselves needing to make adjustments. While there are a lot of scenarios that head coach Steve Clifford can do, it does offer new recruits an opportunity for more playing time.
Nicolas Batum could be playing a bit in the small forward position which should somehow dislodge the cramped backcourt rotation the Hornets have at the moment. His move to the stretch forward position thus opens a possible slot for Jeremy Lin who could play the off guard alongside resident starting guard Kemba Walker or perhaps the other way around.
"For his career he has always been around 13 or 14 points per game, but I think he will get more play calls here," says coach Steve Clifford via NBC Sports. "The big thing isn't necessarily the number but how efficient he is — and I think he will play very efficiently," he adds.
Lin, on the other hand, is aching to get his career back on track after a forgettable stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. Linsanity believes that Charlotte is the perfect fit for him and is upbeat about resurrecting his NBA career.
With that said, everything may possibly depend on what Clifford has up his sleeves with the unfortunate injury biting one of his prized small forwards.
