Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was not showing any sign of avoiding contact as he returned to the court Monday night at Dallas, driving the lane to draw a foul in the first quarter and continuing to play with an aggressive approach as the latest encouraging moments for the Hornets and their starting small forward in the comeback from the shoulder injury that cost him 75 games last season.

Coach Steve Clifford had already noted the positive of Kidd-Gilchrist showing the same hard-driving style in the first week of Charlotte practices as before twice tearing cartilage in his right shoulder. The second time, Feb. 10, ended his 2015-16 season for good and hurt the Hornets’ chances for a playoff run. Facing the Mavericks, though, was the first chance for MKG to face live competition in almost eight months.

The Hornets say there has been no physical carryover either. Kidd-Gilchrist getting to the line twice before the midpoint of the second quarter and also collecting three rebounds was good proof. He finished with eight points, five boards and one steal in 24 minutes.

Scott Howard-Cooper has covered the NBA since 1988. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.