Seven seasons and 400-some NBA games into his NBA career, Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist experienced a first Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets:
He did not play, despite being healthy and available on the bench.
Hornets coach James Borrego tweaked his rotation, playing Frank Kaminsky 24 minutes in a 123-112 victory that broke a three-game losing streak. Two players who were regulars off the bench this season — Kidd-Gilchrist and shooting guard Malik Monk — didn’t play.
Never before had Kidd-Gilchrist, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, not played when truly available to the Hornets.