The Charlotte Hornets entered training camp with playoff aspirations. After finishing last season with a 33-49 record, Charlotte went out and added veterans Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, Spencer Hawes and Jeremy Lin to a solid young roster. It also picked up reigning College Basketball Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky in the draft.
Everything seemed to be coming together for head coach Steve Clifford and Co. to earn only their third playoff appearance in 12 seasons.
Unfortunately, the catalyst for this young team, forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, is expected to miss the entire 2015-16 season with a shoulder injury.
Kidd-Gilchrist, the second overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, tallied 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Hornets last season.
With him likely done for the season, Batum should take over as the starting small forward in a frontcourt that includes Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller and the aforementioned Kaminsky.
It's a blow to the team. That's for sure. However, there's still a nice amount of young talent on this roster — enough to potentially make a push in a weak Eastern Conference.
A decent daily play, Kidd-Gilchrist put up a double-double in 12 of his 55 games this past season. Though, it must be noted that Batum will offer some serious value for those of you looking to go cheap at small forward — something that's hard to do with the star power at that position around the Association.