The Charlotte Hornets will start Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at small forward again this season. There has been some support amongst fans for the Hornets to start Malik Monk over Kidd-Gilchrist due to his superior shooting.

“MKG – everybody wants to know – he’ll start and I think he’ll have a great year,” Steve Clifford said.

“Spacing is the basic tenant of offensive basketball,” Clifford said, acknowledging Kidd-Gilchrist’s limited shooting range. “But it’s not as important as competitiveness, it’s not as important as character, and it’s not as important as natural talent.

“He is a natural athlete. He has a feel for the game, he’s a tough guy who cares about the team, and I think he can be one of the top 10 defenders in the league this year.”