The Charlotte Hornets' defensive swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was initially thought to have suffered a separated shoulder in the Hornets' preseason opener against the Orlando Magic. The injury occurred with 46 seconds left in the second quarter. MKG fell on the floor before standing up and grabbing his shoulder.

The Hornets announced, per NBA.com, that the player was taken to the Florida Hospital South for an X-Ray and the result was negative. Kidd-Gilchrist then underwent an MRI, which revealed that he suffered a torn labrum.

According to a separate update from NBA.com, Charlotte's team orthopedist Dr. Marcus Cook will determine the next steps for the recovery and rehabilitation of MKG's shoulder. According to Yahoo! Sports, the 22-year-old forward will need to undergo shoulder surgery and miss the entire season.

The Charlotte Observer reports that MKG can opt to undergo six to eight weeks of rehabilitation but is prone to re-injuring his shoulder. The Hornets only scored 5-20 last season when he was not playing due to a stress reaction in his right foot, a hamstring injury and a left ankle sprain. But when he was healthy and playing, the team scored 28-29.

Head coach Steve Clifford pointed this out via Charlotte Observer, saying, "When he's on the floor, we play well. When he's not on the floor, we don't. He's got a very high basketball IQ. He's very verbal with his teammates. He always knows what's going on and that leads to good team play."

This news is a huge blow for the Hornets as they improved their roster in the offseason in hopes for a return to the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference. Kidd-Gilchrist is entering his fourth season and has drastically improved in each season, which earned him a huge contract extension.

MKG signed a four-year, $52 million extension this past offseason as announced by the team on NBA.com. His extension proved that he is one of the cornerstones of the franchise along with Kemba Walker.

In his absence, Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb who were acquired via trades in the offseason will probably get his minutes, per Yahoo! Sports. MKG is probably the team's best perimeter defender and has developed his offense since being drafted by the second overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Last season, Kidd-Gilchrist averaged 10.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 46.5 percent from the field in just 55 games, per Basketball-Reference.com. He played his college basketball with Kentucky and has been known for his athleticism and defense.