The Charlotte Hornets were holding steady as the 2-seed in the east for several weeks until they hit their recent slump. The have been without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist all season but he’s getting close to returning. Kidd-Gilchrist has been cleared to start non-contact drills after having surgery in October to repair a torn labrum. Kidd-Gilchrist was expected to miss 6 months recovering but he is well ahead of schedule and shared with The Charlotte Observer that he hopes to play some meaningful minutes this season.
“For sure. No question I’m going to play this season,” Kidd-Gilchrist told the Observer Wednesday at shootaround. “I’m going to play. It’s a matter of when now.”
“I want to help my team win and I feel I can bring a lot of energy both on the offensive side and the defensive side. I just want to get back to what I love to do.”
Kidd-Gilchrist was the second overall pick in the 2012 draft and he signed a four-year, $52 million extension before the season started. The Hornets really miss Kidd-Gilchrist’s length, defensive ability and athleticism, he defends the best player every night. The Hornets are 17-17 and slightly out of the playoffs picture right now. The sooner Kidd-Gilchrist returns the better off the Hornets will be.
