The Charlotte Hornets might open the 2015–16 regular season without forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who suffered a dislocated right shoulder in their 106–100 preseason opener victory against the Orlando Magic last Saturday.
In the second quarter against the Magic, Kidd-Gilchrist went down hard following a foul from Orlando forward Tobias Harris.
Kidd-Gilchrist stayed down for a moment before standing up holding his shoulder and being assisted to the locker room, according to ESPN.
The 22-year-old forward finished the game with four points, one rebound, and one assist in 13 minutes of action.
The Charlotte Observer reported that Kidd-Gilchrist stayed in Orlando following the injury and had X-rays at Florida Hospital South with the results coming back negative.
Kidd-Gilchrist's injury was announced by the Hornets with him set to return to Charlotte and be re-evaluated this Monday, according to the report.
The Charlotte Observer added that the former Kentucky Wildcat will likely need three to 12 weeks to recover since that is the normal time span for a dislocation to heal.
Because of the expected time of absence, Kidd-Gilchrist will likely miss the entire preseason and the first few games of the regular season.
The Hornets will open their 2015–16 campaign on the road facing the Miami Heat on Oct. 28.
Kidd-Gilchrist was one of the most efficient players for Charlotte last season, although he played in only 55 regular season games which included 52 starts because of injuries.
In the 2014–15 season, he averaged career-bests 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds with 1.4 assists in 28.9 minutes of action per contest.
Kidd-Gilchrist is a player who prides in his defensive game; together with his contributions to the Hornets in the past three seasons, he was signed to a four-year, $52 million contract extension last August.
The absence of Kidd-Gilchrist will likely turn the spotlight on scorer Nicolas Batum who was acquired via trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason.
