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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Injury Opens Door For Jeremy Lin, Nicolas Batum

By Michael Dunlap

Oct 4, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) is pressured by Miami Heat forward Amar
Oct 4, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) is pressured by Miami Heat forward Amar /
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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to miss six months for Charlotte Hornets, giving more opportunity to Jeremy Lin, Nicolas Batum

The Charlotte Hornets had high hopes for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist this season, as the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft was coming off of his finest season as a pro. Now, his season has been decimated by a shoulder dislocation that is going to require surgery and serious rehab. It hurts the team’s chemistry, it takes away a hustle/energy guy and it hurts depth. It will be up to new acquisitions Jeremy Lin and Nicolas Batum to pick up the slack.

It’s terrible to “earn” more minutes via injury, but at this point Batum and Lin must take the opportunity and run with it. Batum was slated to start anyways, but will have his role expanded without fellow wing defender Kidd-Gilchrist on the court. Lin is the benefactor in terms of minutes, as he can play both the point and the shooting guard.

BATUM’S ROLE

In his first game of the preseason, Batum scored 14 points with six rebounds and three assists in just 23 minutes of action against the Orlando Magic, with Kidd-Gilchrist by his side for some of those minutes. Perhaps more notable is the fact he took 12 shots, something that coach Steve Clifford alluded to in an interview with NBCSports:

"“For his career he has always been around 13 or 14 points per game, but I think he will get more play calls here. The big thing isn’t necessarily the number but how efficient he is – and I think he will play very efficiently.”"

This comment came before Kidd-Gilchrist was injured, and holds even more weight now. Batum is coming off of a terrible season that saw his points (9.4 per game), rebounds (5.9), assists (4.8) and blocks (0.6) all drop from the previous season. His .324 3-point percentage represented the worst of his career, as did his .400 field goal percentage.

Still, the 6-foot-8 Batum has tremendous value for a Hornets team that needs more playmakers and better passing than a year ago. He’ll slot in behind Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson in terms of output, but his ability to play smart basketball will be infectious.

LIN’S ROLE

Coming over from the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent, Lin’s signing largely went under the national pundit’s radars. He was assumed to play the backup point guard spot and coach Clifford hoped he’d be the kind of sparkplug off the bench that they lacked in 2014-15.

If Lin’s first official appearance means anything, he’s going to be even more than that. Lin scored a team-high 17 points with seven assists and a steal, as the Hornets downed the Magic. Lin followed that up with a more modest 10 points, three rebounds and an assist.

If coach Clifford decides to insert Batum into the starting small forward spot, there’s a good chance Lin will be the primary backup for both guard spots (assuming he doesn’t get the starting two). Regardless, Lin is looking at a solid 30 minutes a night.

With a strong low-post presence in Jefferson and a slashing playmaker in Walker beside him, Lin won’t face the double teams and traps that plagued him a year ago. If Batum can return to the kind of 3-point shooter he once was (36 to 39 percent), the Hornets will have a dynamic five with which to compete against any squad.

If the six-month recovery time is accurate, that means Kidd-Gilchrist will be back just before the start of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Until then, the onus is on Lin and Batum to pick up the slack.

Next: 25 Best Players to Play for the Charlotte Hornets

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