Hornets' Kidd-Gilchrist cleared for non-contact drills, insists he'll play this season

Despite a four-game slide that's taken them out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Charlotte Hornets have outperformed expectations this season, and they could be getting a crucial piece of their puzzle back sooner than anticipated.

Swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was thought to be lost for the majority - if not all - of the regular season when he suffered a separated shoulder during a preseason game, but recent developments suggest he could be ahead of schedule in his recovery.

Kidd-Gilchrist, who underwent surgery to repair the torn labrum in his shoulder in October, has been fully cleared to resume all non-contact activity, and is practicing with the team again, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

While he still has a ways to go, the 22-year-old defensive ace has every intention of suiting up for the Hornets this season.

"For sure. No question I'm going to play this season," he told Bonnell at the Hornets' shootaround on Wednesday. "I'm going to play. It's a matter of when now."

If he does return, slotting Kidd-Gilchrist into the lineup could be tricky, given his positional overlap with offseason acquisition Nicolas Batum - who's filled the void and then some - and Charlotte's newfound love affair with four- and five-out lineups, which have contributed to the first potent offense in franchise history.

But what Kidd-Gilchrist brings in terms of individual defense, rebounding, transition play, and all-around energy should more than make up for anything he'd conceivably take off the table. He's also long enough and versatile enough to man both forward positions.

"I want to help my team win and I feel I can bring a lot of energy both on the offensive side and the defensive side," he said. "I just want to get back to what I love to do."

Aside from Kidd-Gilchrist himself, there may be no one more excited by the prospect of his return than Hornets head coach Steve Clifford.

"He's an elite defender," Clifford said. "There are not many guys who can guard the other team's primary scorer (night after night) and make it hard on them. Nobody can guard (Kevin) Durant or (Dwyane) Wade or LeBron (James) one-on-one. Nobody.

"But he's smart and so good technically in a way that you have a chance without it being an all-out double-team. That makes a big difference."

Clifford was reluctant to offer a prognosis, but expressed optimism about having Kidd-Gilchrist on the floor at some point during the 2015-16 campaign.

"I’m not a doctor, but I think (he’ll play in the regular season)," Clifford said. "The only thing they're hesitant about is the nature of these injuries. Literally it has to be step-by-step. They are hesitant to put out a timeline."

The Hornets went 27-28 in games Kidd-Gilchrist played last season, and just 6-21 in those he didn't.