WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum will make his 2017-18 NBA regular-season debut on Wednesday after tearing a left elbow ligament last month, Hornets coach Steve Clifford said Tuesday.
The 28-year-old Frenchman will start when Charlotte entertains the Cleveland Cavaliers barring an unexpected setback, Clifford said.
“He did a ton yesterday and he feels good today,” Clifford told the Charlotte Observer. “He feels good and he looks good.”
“It should be a go,” Batum told the newspaper.
Batum injured his elbow only 34 seconds into a pre-season game against the Detroit Pistons on October 4.
Batum averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season in his second campaign with the Hornets. He enters the second season of a five-year contract worth $120 million after playing for Portland from 2008-2015.
The Hornets rank 12th in the Eastern Conference at 4-7, having lost their past four games in a row.
© Agence France-Presse
