Charlotte Hornets Training Camp: What’s on the line for each player

A spot in the rotation

It’s been quite a fall for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over the past two years. Coming off the worst season of his career, MKG must prove that he belongs in the rotation for the Charlotte Hornets moving forward. You would think that he can carve out some minutes as a backup wing, but he’s still got some competition.

Last season, Kidd-Gilchrist averaged just 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.4 minutes. He dealt with some injuries and at one point, he was completely out of the rotation. That’s something he hasn’t been used to during his career, but not playing is becoming more of a reality for him at this point.

Kidd-Gilchrist has taken some steps backwards, but he remains a very good defender. He’ll always be useful on that end of the floor. The problem for him has been his lack of offensive production. He’s not a shooter, he’s a herky-jerky type player when going to the basket and doesn’t get to the foul line often.

The fact is that he plays hard and he defends. Any team, especially a team like Charlotte who struggles defensively, needs a player like him. I’d like to see him back in the rotation full time this season, and I hope he can have a bounce back campaign.