According to a Dallas specialist, Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Nicolas Batum may not require surgery on the torn ligament in his left elbow.
The Hornets are still exploring their options, but it looks like the veteran could possibly avoid surgery. The six-to-eight week timeline remains, but based on this Batum may return during the earlier portion of that period. Jeremy Lamb will serve as a starter until he returns.
Over 43 games, we project Batum to average 15.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. He's the 44th-ranked player in our fantasy rankings and is, on average, going with the 8th pick in the 5th round of Yahoo! leagues.
Source: Charlotte Observer