Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left off of NBA's All-Defensive teams

When the NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams were announced on Wednesday, Charlotte Hornets fans were probably shocked to see that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had been left completely off of both teams. MKG was the defensive heart and soul of the Hornets in 2014-15, and he was one of the best wing defenders in the entire league. Surely there had to be room for him among the ten roster spots!

Alas, it wasn't to be. And At The Hive's Joshua Priemski offers a few compelling reasons why Kidd-Gilchrist finished with the 15th most votes in All-Defensive team balloting. The simplest explanation: MKG simply didn't play enough games.

"Voters like a solid sample size with which to make their decisions, and while 55 games is nothing to scoff at, it is easily the lowest mark among players in the above charts," Priemski writes. "Basically, getting hurt severely hindered Kidd-Gilchrist's chances at a handful of awards."

Combine MKG's missed time with the competition at his position -- the All-Defensive voting still uses an outdated position-based ballot -- and Charlotte's lack of national exposure, and Kidd-Gilchrist's exclusion starts to make a lot more sense.

But it still stings.

(h/t At The Hive)

Photo Credit: Chris Humphreys/USA Today Sports