Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Bust or Super Underrated

Back in 2012, Michael Kidd Gilchrist was selected second overall by the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Charlotte Hornets. And depending on who you're talking to, this guy is either a bust or he's one of the more underrated players in the NBA today. And I think it's a pretty interesting discussion that we're going to dive into today. Would I want MKG on my team? He does have some definite abilities with his size, athleticism, and defense, but the one glaring issue with this guy's game is the lack of a jump shot. Not only is it a lack of one, but it's how uncomfortable it is to look at when he actually does shoot one. If you ever saw that Pistol Pete Maravich DVD on basketball fundamentals, I mean Pistol Pete, he would just have a field day looking at this jumper by MKG. But he has put in quite a bit of in the off seasons to get himself to being just a respectable shooter. Because of course, in the NBA, if you are a non-factor from outside, then your impact on your team is definitely limited. One thing I will give Gilchrist credit for is that over the years, his mid-range jumper has actually gotten to the point of being somewhat respectable. He's managed to shoot just under league average at around 38-39% from mid-range for the past two seasons that he's actually played. Now this is good, but at the same time, where we are in the NBA today, you really need a three-point shot because you don't provide that much spacing when you're only good from mid. And I think his lack of a real three ball, it still has a negative impact on Charlotte's offense, which we can see in the following clips. You'll see here he starts off in the corner being defended by Avery Bradley, and Bradley leaves him not really being intimidated by anything he's going to do, and then he's not able to kill them even with the space that the Celtics gave him. On this one here, you'll notice Jay Crowder just kind of veers off into the paint and allows MKG to just sit from around 15 feet. Here he starts with the ball in his hands. Pay attention to Al Horford. As Michael Kid Gilchrist walks over to the three-point line, he just kind of lingers around Marvin Williams as an extra defender as well as a rebounder. And the other thing I notice is how little he's ever actually involved in Charlotte's offense. Look at how he's just standing in the corner with pretty much no action going through him whatsoever, and it kind of makes sense because if you have MKG set a screen or if you have him as a ball handler, opposing team can just always give him space and bring extra defenders to other guys. So as a result, it might actually be beneficial to just not involve him in the offense at all, but that still hurts you overall because it hurts your versatility as a team. And I think the follow-up question to all that would be, are the things that MKG does well have any value given how much he hurts you just with his lack of a jumper? Well, let's talk about some of the things he does do well. For one, when he actually has a lane to the basket, he's actually pretty decent at finishing. He shot almost 60% at the basket this season and his handle is not terrible. He actually can attack closeouts. He's a fantastic offensive rebounder, one of the better ones at the small forward position. Nearly two offensive rebounds a game for him this season, which is a lot of the time what we look for in centers. So he does have a way of making his presence known offensively even if he's never going to be the main vocal point or the second or third vocal points. I would say his cutting is pretty impressive as well. He recognizes when the defense is ignoring him and he can play off of a ball handler driving. But still, with all of this, he has to create his own opportunities and they're never that ideal. He can't attack the defense himself one-on-one. You can't run him across screens to shoot a jumper. And so I ask the question again, is the lack of a real three-point shot so bad that all of these things just don't really matter? Well, that's just the offensive side of the floor. We have to get to what I believe to be his main calling card, which is defense. I would say he is maybe not an elite defensive player, but he's definitely a very good one. And given his frame as well as athleticism, it's not that surprising. The guy is 6'7", 232 pounds, and displays quite a bit of quickness on his feet that allows him to defend perimeter players who may want to attack him one-on-one. But he also has the size and strength to switch on to other positions and get across screens. He's also pretty smart as well. Look at the way he kind of forces Westbrook to attack where there's just a lot of bodies and it would force the ball out of Russ's hands. And he's able to recover onto Oladipo here for a decent contest as well. And I would say that his defense is what really has allowed him to get so many minutes in the NBA, even if for his lack of an offensive game. This previous season his net rating was 1.6, and in the 2015 season, which unfortunately was his last healthy one before this year, his net rating was 3.1. Steve Ballmer says that Charlotte is just better when MKG is on the floor, and the net ratings would defend that one as well. Defensively, I think he has a chance to go up to another level, to being one of the best defenders in the NBA overall. But of course, we would love for that offensive game to develop. Here's what I believe about MKG. Do I think he is a bust? No. I think saying he's a bust would imply that he has no value for his team, and just because he didn't end up being a star, that, I don't know, he has no value given that he was the second overall pick. I think that's just kind of silly. Clearly the dude can help his team out as an awesome defensive player, a cutter. He can show some potential when it comes to finishing at the rim. Personally, I think I would want him as my sixth man. I think starting his lack of an offensive game could hurt you too much, but having him to be able to come off the bench and go up against other teams' second units and play with some of your starters, be a great defensive player, and just do so many things well, I think that's where I would really love him to be. I think even if his jumper never really develops, I would love to see his ball handling go to another level, because I actually think he could be another form of Paul Millsap in a power forward type player who is an awesome ball handler, finishes well at the rim, and can post up. I think that might be the avenue for him, being more of a post up player. He would have to get stronger for that one to work. Whatever. I just hope he develops something, because I think his value right now is pretty decent, and it can only go through the roof with more development.