Motor Keeps Going: The Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Thread III

[yosemiteben]

MKG FG% from 15-19 feet by month:

NOV: 31.8% (7-22)
DEC: 40.0% (12-30)
JAN: 43.8% (14-32)
FEB: 36.0% (9-25)

Not quite seeing the post-ASB bump in midrange FG% I was hoping, was hoping he'd come back hot.

well, that isn't really much of a sample size- if he makes two more total, he's at 44%

For sure, was just hoping that he'd come out guns ablazing with higher % on higher volume.

[yosemiteben]

Nice piece on MKG: http://www.nba.com/hornets/all-energy-all-time-mkg

Through March 8, Kidd-Gilchrist has put up an average of 8.9 points to go with career-best marks in rebounding (7.6), offensive rebounding (2.1), blocks (1.0), steals (1.0), minutes played (29.4) and free-throw percentage (77.1 percent). He is on the cusp of becoming the first NBA player 6-7 or shorter in nearly a decade to average at least 9.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 offensive rebounds and 1.0 block per game over the course of an entire season.

Kidd-Gilchrist has racked up 133 total offensive rebounds this year, 15 more than the next closest player at the small forward position. Overall, he ranks fourth among NBA small forwards in rebounding this season, trailing only All-Star starters Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. He recently had a stretch in mid-February with 12-or-more rebounds in a career-high three-straight games, the first non-center to accomplish this feat in Charlotte since fellow small forward Gerald Wallace did so during his All-Star season of 2009-10.

Kidd-Gilchrist ranks third among NBA small forwards in defensive real plus-minus this season with a mark of 2.43. This metric essentially implies that the Hornets hold opponents to almost two-and-a-half fewer points per 100 defensive possessions with Kidd-Gilchrist on the floor compared to when he’s not. Overall this season, Kidd-Gilchrist is ranked 23rd out of 455 qualified players in this category.

[yasuhara2241]

I have always been a big MKG supporter. I feel like he brings a lot to our team. This year it seems like he is always helping off of the guy who he is guarding who happens to be the best player on the other team. So, in turn, we get burned left and right by superstars especially if they shoot the 3 ball.

I am excited that he has had a year without injury and hope that he can improve, but no matter what the stats say there is a part of me that wonders how far we can get as a team with him in the starting lineup. It's not about points as much as the guy that is guarding him is clogging the paint bc everyone knows that he will take the one dribble to the left pull up jumper.

So the question is do we believe he is our SF of the present and future. Can we win with him in our starting 5?

[fatlever]

SportsFromMyEyes‏ @JustinThomasNBA 48m48 minutes ago

Results came back negative on MKG's right ankle, he's listed as probable tomorrow night in Orlando #Hornets.

[yosemiteben]

I wasn't too worried when I saw it live, he kept playing on it and made a couple plays after he signaled that he needed to come out, and he wasn't really limping when he went through the tunnel to go to the locker room.

[fatlever]

https://16winsaring.com/michael-kidd-gilchrist-has-lots-of-pace-and-no-space-805617034e57#.vfsk9hs8b

Pace and no space...

[Bassman]

So now is as good a time as any to review and discuss what to do with MKG. I really was pulling for the guy this year, but he regressed into his old shooting form, and seems likely to never be an NBA-caliber shooter or scorer. His weak handle doesn't enable him to consistently slash inside. His defense is good but not great.

I want to deal him as part of a trade up in this year's draft but not sure who would be willing to participate. Or trade him for a starting 2 who CAN shoot and move Batum to the 3. Defense may suffer but Kemba needs help.

Your thoughts?

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

So now is as good a time as any to review and discuss what to do with MKG. I really was pulling for the guy this year, but he regressed into his old shooting form, and seems likely to never be an NBA-caliber shooter or scorer. His weak handle doesn't enable him to consistently slash inside. His defense is good but not great.

I want to deal him as part of a trade up in this year's draft but not sure who would be willing to participate. Or trade him for a starting 2 who CAN shoot and move Batum to the 3. Defense may suffer but Kemba needs help.

Your thoughts?

Agree with pretty much all of that, with the exception that I don't care about which wing position as much.

It's a shame, as I was really rooting for MKG at one point. He's a great person. Just doesn't fit well for what the team needs now.

[yosemiteben]

I need to do a deep dive on MKG, but I would never trade him if the plan is to use Marv as a PF.

[catch20two]

I've officially given up on my hope that MKG can be anything more than a role player with great defense.

I wouldn't be against trading him in a packaged deal that net us someone who can score 15+ppg consistently or demoting him to a bench role that plays about 20 minutes per game.

[Radu_Hornets]

Just Switch MKG and lamb minutes

[fatlever]

I think it's time for some serious talk about MKG and whether or not he should be in the plans for the future. I'd love to hear from both sides of this argument.

[catch20two]

If he don't add a 3pter to his repertoire this offseason it's time to make changes. Move him to the bench or trade him. I'm watching guys like Taurean Prince, Al Farouq Aminu, and many others become a threat from the 3pt line while MKG is in year 4 still getting a midrange together. Even more annoying he HAS to take a side dribble to the left before taking the shot. Sigh!

[fatlever]

Has MKG legitimately improved in any area of his game since his rookie season (other than maybe the mid-range jumper, which I'd argue was actually as good in college, then regressed, then improved back to where it was to begin with)?

[BigSlam]

I think it's time for some serious talk about MKG and whether or not he should be in the plans for the future. I'd love to hear from both sides of this argument.

Draft Anunoby to take his spot (he's shown to be able to shoot a little).

Trade MKG for a roster improvement, an additional 1st round pick or combine him with our pick to move up and draft Isaac.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mystical Apples]

While true, saying MKG "can't shoot" does nothing to explain why he's the problem. It just means he sucks at shooting.

[Cheeze]

The problem isn't with MKG. He is what he is and everyone wanting to "manage" him and his minutes or trade him for something better is casting into the wind.

The problem is that no player has come forward to TAKE his minutes from him. And no other wing has come close to replicating his value to the starting unit.

Charlotte has a chance this offseason to add a player to correct the starting unit's structural flaws. This would, by design, move MKG to the second unit, where he would be more effective in matchup situations - and I think his minutes would actually go UP as a result anyway. That's the solution.

But the problem is not MKG.

[SWedd523]

I think it's time for some serious talk about MKG and whether or not he should be in the plans for the future. I'd love to hear from both sides of this argument.

Draft Anunoby to take his spot (he's shown to be able to shoot a little).

Trade MKG for a roster improvement, an additional 1st round pick or combine him with our pick to move up and draft Isaac.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Make this man the real GM

[fatlever]

In past seasons, we could always look at MKG's on/off numbers to show is value to the team not seen in box scores or feel-o-meter. He had a plus rating this season, but how much his positive rating this year was tied to his heavy minutes next to Kemba? In 304 minutes next to Sessions, MKG had a -3.3 rating. In his 105 minutes next to Roberts, MKG had a disastrous 24.9 net rating. Next to Kemba, MKG had a fluffy +3.7 net in almost 2000 minutes.

Meanwhile, Kemba had great net ratings with pretty much everyone. +7.5 with Cody, +5.4 with Marco, +5.2 with Frank, +2.7 with both Batum and Lamb, +6.2 with Hibbert, +11.4 with Graham (only in 46 minutes).

Everyone's positive ratings this years seemed to be directly related their time on the court with Kemba and to a lesser degree, Cody. MKG did not appear to have as much influence this year in this area as he has had in the past.

[fatlever]

While true, saying MKG "can't shoot" does nothing to explain why he's the problem. It just means he sucks at shooting.

I wouldn't say MKG is "the problem", just possibly one of many problems that we should explore.

I bring up MKG mainly because he probably holds decent enough value via a trade that he might be the guy we need to move in order to improve the roster this summer. For many years MKG was on our do-not-touch list because he represented the hope, the future and potential. Even when his stats weren't impressive, his on/off numbers were too good to ignore. I think I can speak for many long time fans when I say, we no longer have that same kind of hope for MKG that we've had for the past 5 years. But, he still has good value, especially on his contract, and it might be time to consider if we can improve the team by either trading or moving him to the bench.

I think the biggest negative impact MKG has on the team is in the 4th quarter, specifically down the stretch. Play MKG and risk closing any space for Kemba and others to operate. Sit MKG and risk not being able to stop anyone. Our coach seemed to prefer the latter of those two options this year and it killed us. Would we have won more games with MKG soaking up most of Marco's 4th Q minutes? Ideally, we need an option that provides the best of both worlds. We need someone who can close games with the starters, while providing spacing and defensive support, not one or the other. We had that last year in Courtney Lee and to an extent in Jeremy Lin. MKG and Marco were a glass is half full option that was not ideal. (this is where Lamb fans jump him and say Lamb is the compromise between MKG and Marco and there may be some truth to that, but I think we can do even better).

Overall point is that I am done considering MKG an automatic starter. I am done thinking he is untradeable (or close to it as far as our players are concerned). I am also done believing in his potential. He is what he is until he proves otherwise.

And he's still my favorite Hornet and the player I root for harder than anyone in the league.