Will Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's injury doom the Hornets' playoff hopes?

Did Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's injury derail the Hornets' season before it could even start?

Ben Leibowitz | Oct 7, 2015

Will Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's injury doom the Hornets' playoff hopes? /

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was poised for big things this year in his pivotal fourth season in the NBA. Like others from his draft class, MKG was working to incur a big leap forward—a la Bulls guard Jimmy Butler a season ago, who won Most Improved Player and made his first All-Star team.

“He’s totally changed his shooting mechanics really more than any player I’ve ever seen,” Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said of Kidd-Gilchrist in April, per the AP.

MKG was nothing more than a passable mid-range shooter a season ago. The small forward didn’t attempt a single three-point shot (previously a paltry 3-of-18 from distance in his career), crippling the team's spacing on the floor at times. But changes to his shooting stroke hinted that he could be set for drastic improvements ahead.

“It’s increased his confidence level,” Clifford said. “His whole leadership, assertiveness on the court and his understanding of the game has come out more for his teammates as he’s gotten more confident.”

• MORE NBA: Training camp storylines: Western Conference | Eastern Conf.

Unfortunately, Kidd-Gilchrist won’t have a chance at posting a breakout season this year in the same vein as Butler’s. Following surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, the defensive-minded wing is likely to miss the entire 2015-16 campaign. There’s a chance he’ll return in late April, but if the Hornets aren’t in the hunt for a playoff spot at that time, there frankly won’t be much of a reason for MKG to rush back.

So can Buzz City still be a playoff team without the heart and soul of its defense?

When Kidd-Gilchrist was on the court for the Hornets last season, the effective field goal percentage of opponents was 47.4% and they scored 98.8 points per 100 possessions. Those numbers jumped to 49.6% and 107.4 points per 100 possessions when MKG was sitting on the bench. Additionally, Charlotte was 27-28 when Kidd-Gilchrist played, and a lowly 6-21 when he sat out. In those 27 contests without the former No. 2 overall pick, the Hornets were outscored by an average of 9.1 points per game.

To sum up, the outlook is grim for Charlotte without the defensive dynamo. There’s simply no way to sugarcoat it.

Devastating injury news for Charlotte + MKG, per @WojYahooNBA. CHA consistently way, way better wMKG on floor. Pressure on Batum, Lamb, etc
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 5, 2015

As Grantland’s Zach Lowe noted via Twitter, pressure will now ramp up on new additions Nic Batum and Jeremy Lamb—two of the team’s primary offseason acquisitions. If you’re a Hornets fan, the words “pressure on Lamb” is not what you wanted to see heading into the new campaign.

Nevertheless, that’s the state of things in Charlotte.

Coming off any other season, Batum would actually be seen as a suitable replacement for the injured 22-year-old. During the 2014-15 season, however, the Frenchman made just 40% of his field-goal attempts and 32.4% of his three-point shots—both the worst marks of his career.

Previously, Batum had established himself as one of the best three-and-D perimeter role players in the game. He converted 37.5% of his triples in three seasons before the drop-off a season ago, and he pestered opponents on the perimeter by using his lanky frame. He could return to that form in Charlotte, but the breakdown of his shots last season doesn't promote confidence.

Batum was about league average above the break a season ago, but he really struggled from the corners. The 30.6% of threes he made from the left corner was down considerably from 54.1% in 2013-14. The corner three is widely regarded as the most efficient shot in the game, but Batum was anemic from those spots throughout his rough year.

If there is a silver lining here, it’s that MKG’s injury opens up the small forward spot for Batum. Rather than playing him at shooting guard—where the 26-year-old veteran has played an estimated 0% of his minutes over the past two seasons, according to Basketball Reference—he can play at his more natural spot on the floor. Even with positionless basketball becoming a bigger trend in today’s NBA, that could prove to be an advantage from a comfort zone standpoint.

If Clifford opts to slide Batum down to the vacant small forward spot, he’ll need a new shooting guard in the starting lineup. Chances are that responsibility will fall to Lamb.

Pacers continue to sell Paul George on the virtues of playing power forward

The UConn product had a very productive college career under head coach Jim Calhoun. During his sophomore campaign before entering the NBA draft, Lamb led the Huskies by averaging 17.7 points per game. He made a whopping 60.1% of his two-point field goals and was second on the team in rebounding behind Andre Drummond.

As a freshman during the 2010-11 season, Lamb was the wingman to current Hornets point guard Kemba Walker. Lamb was second on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game (behind Walker’s 23.5 points per contest) and converted 36.8% of his threes. The Huskies went on to win the National Championship against No. 8 Butler. Lamb shot 4-of-8 (3-of-6 from downtown) in that game and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Perhaps the duo of Walker and Lamb, now reunited in Charlotte, can regain some of the magic they put forth in the college atmosphere. If not, at least the Hornets have a viable veteran who is used to playing big minutes.

Jeremy Lin—one of free agency’s biggest bargains after inking a two-year, $4 million deal with Charlotte—has already proven himself as a productive starter with the Knicks and Rockets. His averages with the Lakers a season ago weren't glimmering, but he actually notched more points, rebounds, assists and steals per 36 minutes in Lakerland when compared to his 2013-14 season in Houston.

The man formerly known as “Linsanity” is poised to fill the sixth man role with the Hornets. There’s a chance Clifford will use Lin in lineups alongside Walker so Charlotte has two ball handlers on the court at the same time (much like Phoenix in recent years). He scored 17 points and dished out seven assists in 25 minutes off the bench in Charlotte’s first preseason game. Yes, it’s preseason, and there isn’t much long-term insight to glean from that showing, but that performance at a minimum is a good omen.

With Kidd-Gilchrist in street clothes (perhaps for the entire season), though, Batum, Lamb and Lin must play to their full potential. Frankly, even if all three step up to the challenge, roster improvements to the Pacers, Heat and even Knicks could already prove a death knell to Charlotte’s playoff hopes. The Hornets simply needed MKG.

More from Ben Leibowitz:

Every NBA Team’s Biggest Draft Bust in History

Is the Markieff Morris Drama Finally Over in Phoenix?

The Biggest Dead Weight Gone from Every NBA Team

PointAfter is part of the Graphiq network, a data aggregation and visualization website that’s collected all the information about Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeremy Lamb and put it all in one place so you don’t have to go searching for it. Join Graphiq to discover contextually-rich data visualizations spanning NBA players, NBA teams and thousands of other topics.

• MORE NBA: SI.com's Top 100 NBA players of 2016

Top 100 NBA Players of 2016

#100 — Giannis Antetokounmpo

John W. McDonough for Sports Illustrated

Bucks | Forward | Last year: —

#99 — Wesley Matthews

Mavericks | Guard | Last year: 72

#98 — Donatas Motiejunas

Rockets | Forward | Last year: —

#97 — Nerlens Noel

76ers | Forward | Last year: —

#96 — Josh Smith

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Clippers | Forward | Last year: 53

#95 — Roy Hibbert

Lakers | Center | Last year: 52

#94 — Reggie Jackson

Pistons | Guard | Last year: —

#93 — J.J. Redick

Clippers | Guard | Last year: 93

#92 — Lou Williams

Lakers | Guard | Last year: —

#91 — Andrew Wiggins

Timberwolves | Forward | Last year: —

#90 — Taj Gibson

Bulls | Forward | Last year: 75

#89 — Amir Johnson

Celtics | Forward | Last year: 71

#88 — Isaiah Thomas

Celtics | Guard | Last year: 90

#87 — Ricky Rubio

Timberwolves | Guard | Last year: 87

#86 — Kenneth Faried

Nuggets | Forward | Last year: 77

#85 — Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Hornets | Forward | Last year: —

#84 — Robin Lopez

Knicks | Center | Last year: 82

#83 — Deron Williams

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Mavericks | Guard | Last year: 45

#82 — Joe Johnson

Nets | Guard | Last year: 51

#81 — DeMarre Carroll

Raptors | Forward | Last year: —

#80 — George Hill

Pacers | Guard | Last year: —

#79 — Brandon Knight

Suns | Guard | Last year: —

#78 — Tobias Harris

Magic | Forward | Last year: —

#77 — Jonas Valanciunas

Raptors | Center | Last year: 80

#76 — Andrew Bogut

Warriors | Center | Last year: 65

#75 — Thaddeus Young

Nets | Forward | Last year: 69

#74 — Tiago Splitter

Hawks | Center | Last year: 70

#73 — Danilo Gallinari

Nuggets | Forward | Last year: 62

#72 — Ryan Anderson

Pelicans | Forward | Last year: 59

#71 — Paul Pierce

Clippers | Forward | Last year: 46

#70 — Tristan Thompson

Cavaliers | Forward | Last year: —

#69 — Hassan Whiteside

Heat | Center | Last year: —

#68 — Timofey Mozgov

Cavaliers | Center | Last year: —

#67 — Nikola Vucevic

Magic | Center | Last year: 89

#66 — Chandler Parsons

Mavericks | Forward | Last year: 56

#65 — Trevor Ariza

Rockets | Forward | Last year: 83

#64 — Markieff Morris

Suns | Forward | Last year: —

#63 — Marcin Gortat

Wizards | Center | Last year: 58

#62 — Bradley Beal

Wizards | Guard | Last year: 76

#61 — DeMar DeRozan

Raptors | Guard | Last year: 61

#60 — Derrick Rose

Bulls | Guard | Last year: 23

#59 — Jrue Holiday

Pelicans | Guard | Last year: 50

#58 — Tyreke Evans

Pelicans | Forward | Last year: 84

#57 — Monta Ellis

Pacers | Guard | Last year: 66

#56 — Luol Deng

Heat | Forward | Last year: 55

#55 — Nicolas Batum

Hornets | Forward | Last year: 43

#54 — Kobe Bryant

Lakers | Guard | Last year: 24

#53 — Tony Parker

Spurs | Guard | Last year: 15

#52 — Rudy Gay

Kings | Forward | Last year: 67

#51 — Ty Lawson

Rockets | Guard | Last year: 44

#50 — Danny Green

Spurs | Guard | Last year: 96

#49 — Zach Randolph

Grizzlies | Forward | Last year: 42

#48 — Greg Monroe

Bucks | Forward | Last year: 68

#47 — Al Jefferson

Hornets | Center | Last year: 26

#46 — Kyle Korver

Hawks | Forward | Last year: 74

#45 — Khris Middleton

Bucks | Forward | Last year: —

#44 — Andre Iguodala

Warriors | Forward | Last year: 29

#43 — Joakim Noah

Bulls | Center | Last year: 17

#42 — Goran Dragic

Heat | Guard | Last year: 35

#41 — Jeff Teague

Hawks | Guard | Last year: 92

#40 — Pau Gasol

Bulls | Forward | Last year: 49

#39 — Rudy Gobert

Jazz | Center | Last year: —

#38 — Brook Lopez

Nets | Center | Last year: 36

#37 — Derrick Favors

Jazz | Forward | Last year: 79

#36 — Tyson Chandler

Suns | Center | Last year: 39

#35 — Andre Drummond

Pistons | Center | Last year: 37

#34 — Kyle Lowry

Raptors | Guard | Last year: 30

#33 — Eric Bledsoe

Suns | Guard | Last year: 33

#32 — Paul Millsap

Hawks | Forward | Last year: 34

#31 — Gordon Hayward

Jazz | Forward | Last year: 57

#30 — Dwyane Wade

Heat | Guard | Last year: 20

#29 — DeAndre Jordan

Clippers | Center | Last year: 38

#28 — Dirk Nowitzki

Mavericks | Forward | Last year: 14

#27 — Mike Conley

Grizzlies | Guard | Last year: 32

#26 — Klay Thompson

Warriors | Guard | Last year: 54

#25 — Serge Ibaka

Thunder | Forward | Last year: 19

#24 — Damian Lillard

Trail Blazers | Guard | Last year: 22

#23 — Kyrie Irving

Cavaliers | Guard | Last year: 21

#22 — Chris Bosh

Heat | Forward | Last year: 18

#21 — Al Horford

Hawks | Center | Last year: 25

#20 — Paul George

Pacers | Forward | Last year: —

#19 — Dwight Howard

Rockets | Center | Last year: 9

#18 — Jimmy Butler

Bulls | Guard | Last year: 98

#17 — Kevin Love

Cavaliers | Forward | Last year: 7

#16 — Draymond Green

Warriors | Forward | Last year: —

#15 — Carmelo Anthony

Knicks | Forward | Last year: 11

#14 — DeMarcus Cousins

Kings | Center | Last year: 27

#13 — John Wall

Wizards | Guard | Last year: 31

#12 — LaMarcus Aldridge

Spurs | Forward | Last year: 12

#11 — Tim Duncan

Spurs | Forward | Last year: 5

#10 — Kawhi Leonard

Spurs | Forward | Last year: 28

#9 — Marc Gasol

Grizzlies | Center | Last year: 16

#8 — Blake Griffin

Clippers | Forward | Last year: 10

#7 — Russell Westbrook

Thunder | Guard | Last year: 4

#6 — Chris Paul

Clippers | Guard | Last year: 3

#5 — James Harden

Rockets | Guard | Last year: 13

#4 — Stephen-Curry

Warriors | Guard | Last year: 8

#3 — Anthony Davis

Pelicans | Forward | Last year: 4

#2 — Kevin Durant

Thunder | Forward | Last year: 2

#1 — LeBron James

Cavaliers | Forward | Last year: 1

Published Oct 7, 2015

BEN LEIBOWITZ

Ben Leibowitz is a writer for PointAfter, a sports data aggregation and visualization website that’s part of the Graphiq network. Graphiq is a technology company that offers 10B+ data visualizations and in-depth vertical search engines built upon the world’s deepest knowledge graph. (For more information, visit www.graphiq.com.)