Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returns to Hornets on Saturday

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's on-again, off-again breakout season is ready to get back on track.

The Charlotte Hornets small forward will start when the team opens its second-half schedule against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. He missed the team's final two games before the break due to a strained right hamstring. 

Kidd-Gilchrist has shown offensive improvement in his third season, but he's had trouble staying on the floor, missing time due to a rib injury, a foot injury and now the hamstring injury. 

He's appeared in 36 of Charlotte's 52 games, averaging career highs of 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

Always a top-tier perimeter defender, Kidd-Gilchrist's lack of a jump shot has limited his upside. Completely rebuilding his shot this offseason has produced gains in an admittedly small sample, and the Hornets have been 13.2 points per-100 possessions better with the former No. 2 pick on the floor than off it, an impact that shows up at both ends.

The wing duo of Kidd-Gilchrist and Gerald Henderson has proven unpredictably strong, with the Hornets outscoring opponents by 11.9 points per-100 possessions when they take the floor together. 

Considering neither is a great outside threat, it's a testament to their defense and ability to move off the ball - and an encouraging trend as Charlotte fights for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.