Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Nicolas Batum has suffered a torn UCL in his left elbow, likely sidelining him for the remainder of the season, according to Spencer Percy of Queen City Hoops. In an updated diagnosis, the dynamic all-around player is expected to miss 8-to-12 weeks with the injury, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Batum injured his elbow in Wednesday's preseason opening 108-106 win over the Detroit Pistons, making this an unfortunate loss for a team that was hoping to be on the rise after the addition of Dwight Howard in the offseason. The UCL is the same ligament a baseball pitcher has damaged when a Tommy John surgery is required, qualifying as a rather freak-injury in the sport of basketball.
While the French international holds a unique value to the team as a jack of all trades at the small forward position, this could prove to be a key opportunity for rookie Malik Monk, who led all scorers with 19 points on Wednesday's outing.
Monk can play at his natural shooting guard spot while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist plays at his usual small forward from here on forward, though it will prove a tall task for the rookie, who only played a year at Kentucky under John Calipari.
Batum played only 49 seconds of the game, quickly being taken out and replaced by Jeremy Lamb after a Howard intentional foul.
The 28-year-old posted a career-high 15.1 points per game last season along with 6.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the hive. His all-around presence will be felt on the court, leaving head coach Steve Clifford with a very difficult decision to make ahead of the regular season.
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