Michael Kidd-Gilchrist just cannot catch a break.
Actually, that’s not true. He’s catching too many breaks. The wrong breaks.
Seven games into his return for the Charlotte Hornets, the 6’8″ swingman suffered a torn labrum, and the team announced shortly thereafter he was out indefinitely:
INJURY UPDATE: @hornets F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had MRI revealing torn labrum in his R shoulder. Will be re-evaluated after All-Star break.
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) February 11, 2016
This is the same injury that required MKG to have what was assumed to be season-ending surgery in October. At minimum, it didn’t seem like he would be back before the start of February. And yet there he was, making his season debut on Jan. 29.
Now his season is in jeopardy again, per the Charlotte Observer‘s Rick Bonnell:
MKG could either opt for surgery (season-ending) or try to rehab his labrum. But rehab route makes him more prone to future injury.
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) February 11, 2016
There is no value in bringing MKG this season. Zero. Zilch. None. He is 22 and has the rest of his career ahead of him. No sense compromising the future for a low-end postseason appearance.
The Hornets were a fringe playoff team without him, so they have that going for them. Of course, they were outscoring opponents by more than 15 points per 100 possessions with him in the lineup, according to NBA.com, which would be, by far and away, the best net rating in the league. So that definitely stings. But that’s still not cause enough to rush him back again, when it could have an adverse impact on his future, all for the sake of increasing the chances that Charlotte earns the rights to a first-round playoff exodus.
