Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been cleared to play vs. the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night, per Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears:
Hornets say forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (shoulder surgery) has been cleared for game action and will be available vs Portland tonight.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) January 29, 2016
Kidd-Gilchrist’s return will come less than two weeks after he was cleared for full contact practice.
Kidd-Gilchrist’s return will be a godsend for the Hornets, as he is one of the league’s premiere perimeter defenders. The Hornets have been middle-of-the-pack defensively this season — 14th in defensive efficiency. Hopefully Kidd-Gilchrist’s presence can help the team establish a good defensive mindset. The Hornets went through a rough patch earlier this season, but have played well lately; they’ve won 4 of their last 6.
The only question remaining for Charlotte once Kidd-Gilchrist returns is how he will fit in with the team’s current rotation. Kidd-Gilchrist is a defensive stalwart, but he doesn’t bring much offense. However, I think he’s definitely worthy of a starting spot, particularly on a Hornets roster that isn’t terribly deep. They can slide Kidd-Gilchrist in at the 3, with Nicolas Batum at the 2. Kidd-Gilchrist and Batum on the floor together will be a frightening duo for offenses to go up against.
Hopefully Kidd-Gilchrist’s return will be the spark that ignites this Charlotte team and pushes them to a playoff spot.
