Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Out vs. Bulls After Hamstring Injury Diagnosed as Strain

Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist exited Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls after suffering a left hamstring strain, the team announced.

Kidd-Gilchrist started the game and played six minutes before leaving.

Injuries limited Kidd-Gilchrist early in his NBA career. He played 62 games in 2013-14 and 55 a year later. In 2015-16, he suffered a torn labrum in October and then made it through seven games upon his return in January before suffering the same injury and missing the remainder of the campaign.

Durability wasn't a problem for Kidd-Gilchrist in 2016-17, though, as he appeared in 81 games. His performance was the biggest issue, as he continued to struggle on the offensive end. He averaged 9.2 points on 47.7 percent shooting.

Kidd-Gilchrist remained indispensable on the defensive end, however. According to NBA.com, the Hornets allowed 5.8 fewer points per 100 possessions when he was on the court than when he was on the bench.

That remains the case in 2017-18. Charlotte's defensive rating with Kidd-Gilchrist is 104.1 and 107.0 without him, per NBA.com. He has been a consistently strong performer in a generally underwhelming season for the Hornets.

Kidd-Gilchrist's defense will be sorely missed.