With the NBA season starting this week, Nicolas Batum may be returning to the Charlotte Hornets starting lineup quicker than expected.
As the NBA regular season for the Charlotte Hornets rolls in, one former starter may soon return to the starting lineup. Nicolas Batum could be returning to the team’s starting unit after suffering a minor injury during the preseason.
While Batum is attempting to come back from the Achilles injury that he suffered during the preseason, he may get his chance to return to the starting unit. On Saturday, ClutchPoints reported that Batum could return to Hornets’ opening-night starting lineup.
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While this is not set in stone, Batum did tell coach James Borrego that he’d be fine playing with the second unit if Borrego wants to keep PJ Washington, Miles Bridges, and Dwayne Bacon as starters.
While in Charlotte, Nicolas Batum has only come off the bench in only three games; those three games occurred last season. As a bench player for the Hornets, Batum has only averaged 2.3 points and 2.7 assists per game.
Batum did not have the best preseason he would’ve wished for this year. He only played in two preseason games, and he only averaged 1.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
The preseason did not happen the way Batum intended, as his stats indicate that he was one of the worse players on the team.
Batum is set to play in his 12th season next year, and fans are seeking better play from their highest-paid player. Last season, Batum averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game.
The veteran has a lot he needs to do this season, as he is entering the final year of his contract before his player-option decision next offseason.
As far as everyone knows, Coach Borrego has not announced what his starting unit will be against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Could Coach Borrego decide to stick Batum back in the starting unit?