Motor Keeps Going: The Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Thread III

Hornet Mania · Post #1201 » by **Hornet Mania** » Sat Feb 3, 2018 12:04 pm

I also have wondered why MKG is seeing less floor time. As long as his jumper is falling at this rate there's no reason not to play him a ton.

Cliff creams his pants every time MCW makes a deflection though, when I heard (I think it was Collins) call MCW an 'elite defender according to Coach Clifford, who gives out compliments very rarely' I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly stuck there. Cliff'a platonic ideal of a backup PG is Dikembo Mutumbo. Must be tall and play defense. Ball security and jumpshot totally optional.

Zion Wembanyama · Post #1202 » by **Zion Wembanyama** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 4:00 am

How good can MKG be with a consistent jumper?

catch20two · Post #1203 » by **catch20two** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 4:28 am

Super Powered wrote:How good can MKG be with a consistent jumper?

His jumper is actually consistent nowadays. He just lack range. But I guess to answer you question I’d say about a 15pts and 7rebs type of player with above average defense. He’s already a positive net impact player with the offensive limitations.

Another one of MKG’s bigger detriments as a offensive player that people never speak on is that his ball handling skills are pretty limited to straight line drives.

MKG honestly hasn’t developed much since entering the league and it could be argued that he’s stayed about the same across the board, slightly regressed in some areas, and just added a consistent midrange jumper.

Liver_Pooty · Post #1204 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 4:50 am

One word.

Confidence.

Joest2003 · Post #1205 » by **Joest2003** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:26 pm

Really hurts to say this because character wise MKG is one of my favorite players but unfortunately character doesn't win basketball games. This experiment has lasted long enough and we just need to move on. You cannot be competitive in 2018 when your starting SF can't shoot 3s. He can't even shoot at all. Teams literally leave him wide open and it kills our spacing for the rest of the team. If we replaced MKG with a SF that is a threat from the 3 we would literally be watching a completely different basketball team. It wouldn't even resemble the Hornets basketball we are watching now.

euphorbus · Post #1206 » by **euphorbus** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:45 pm

Joest2003 wrote:He can't even shoot at all.

Actually, he is shooting .508, third on the team behind Howard and Zeller. If anyone needs to go, it is Batum and Kaminsky, who are shooting .415 and .418, respectively.

Vanderbilt_Grad · Post #1207 » by **Vanderbilt_Grad** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:22 pm

I'm with Joest on this one. He needs to either go or be benched. Yes his mid range game is a thing now ... sometimes ... but there is a reason that other mid-range guys aren't playing big minutes anymore.

catch20two · Post #1208 » by **catch20two** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:39 pm

Going into this season I said that this should be a make-or-break season for MKG on whether they should trade him or consider moving him to the bench, especially if he didn’t add a 3pt shot. Welp!

powerforward · Post #1209 » by **powerforward** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:32 pm

what is frustrating to me is I remember how MKG looked early in his rookie season. Really aggressive offense, attacked basket. Was off to a really good start and got injured against pelicans and never regained that same level of play to me.
His mid range jumper is ok, but he hasn't improved his ballhandling and he is often timid on offense.
I don't think he is anything other than a solid starter or rotation player. But we are limited unless he has a big jump.

powerforward · Post #1210 » by **powerforward** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:34 pm

this is what I saw his rookie year, it looks like he regressed

Watch on YouTube

powerforward · Post #1211 » by **powerforward** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:39 pm

this is the game against new Orleans

Watch on YouTube

Braggins · Post #1212 » by **Braggins** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:41 pm

Pretty sure wed have a bottom 5 defense without MKG. Hes dissappointing, but hes still a workable starter in the right situation imo.

I think MKG was kind of ruined by a combination of our **** player development and letting him come back from his first shoulder surgery irresponsibly early and reinjuring it.

I dont think he would have been some kind of star in differemt circumstances, but he should have turned out better.

Vanderbilt_Grad · Post #1213 » by **Vanderbilt_Grad** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:46 pm

Read a good quote the other day ... to paraphrase it was something along the lines of "by year 5 most players are what they are." It's rare for guys to really add to their games in substantial ways after that. This is year 6 for MKG. Yes he is still young, but he has plenty of NBA miles and minutes under his belt. The habits he has now would be really hard to break.

Vanderbilt_Grad · Post #1214 » by **Vanderbilt_Grad** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:52 pm

Braggins wrote:Pretty sure wed have a bottom 5 defense without MKG. Hes dissappointing, but hes still a workable starter in the right situation imo.

I think MKG was kind of ruined by a combination of our **** player development and letting him come back from his first shoulder surgery irresponsibly early and reinjuring it. I dont think he would have been some kind of star in differemt circumstances, but he should have turned out better.

I can think of specific games where his D made an impact this year ... but the advanced stats tell a different story.

Last year: DRtg 106, DWS 3.1, DBPM 2.2
This year: DRtg 110, DWS 1.4, DBPM 0.3

He simply doesn't seem to be having the same defensive impact this year as last. In many ways it's his worst year since his rookie year.

I've played 'what if' games in regards to MKG's development too, but it is what it is now.

catch20two · Post #1215 » by **catch20two** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:44 pm

Clifford did MKG a disservice with his development and not putting him in the best situations to succeed. MKG should’ve had a lot of opportunity to play spot minutes at PF and a increase of usage outside of the shame corner.

When I think of MKG’s playing style I think of another player that’s in his same age group that’s similar, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

RHJ plays a lot of PF for the Nets nowadays and he’s finally started to blossom into a legit player this season in his 3rd year.

MasterIchiro · Post #1216 » by **MasterIchiro** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:58 pm

I suspect the new GM will trade MKG, just as I foresaw Cho getting fired.

Vanderbilt_Grad · Post #1217 » by **Vanderbilt_Grad** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:24 pm

MasterIchiro wrote:I suspect the new GM will trade MKG, just as I foresaw Cho getting fired.

That will be a blow to Kemba. Kemba really talks up how "working with MKG" will help new guys on the team for instance.

Braggins · Post #1218 » by **Braggins** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 12:33 am

I dont see how trading MKG helps the team. We arent getting a good two way player or a good draft pick for him. Trading him for another one dimensional offensive player likely makes the team worse and trading him for a one dimensional defender or someone who is average on both sides on the ball seems lateral at best.

catch20two · Post #1219 » by **catch20two** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 12:47 am

Braggins wrote:I dont see how trading MKG helps the team. We arent getting a good two way player or a good draft pick for him. Trading him for another one dimensional offensive player likely makes the team worse and trading him for a one dimensional defender or someone who is average on both sides on the ball seems lateral at best.

I don’t think it’s a matter of trading MKG to help the team as much as it is to get rid of his $13M on the books.

We shouldn’t trade him unless it’s a deal that could make us better. MKG is one-dimensional himself just defensively but there may be a team looking for a defensive wing willing to give up a decent asset like a mid-1st rounder.

I’m on board with keeping MKG and moving Batum to the bench before trading him but something has to give. We can’t keep doing the same things that aren’t working.

Vanderbilt_Grad · Post #1220 » by **Vanderbilt_Grad** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 1:38 am

Braggins wrote:I dont see how trading MKG helps the team. We arent getting a good two way player or a good draft pick for him. Trading him for another one dimensional offensive player likely makes the team worse and trading him for a one dimensional defender or someone who is average on both sides on the ball seems lateral at best.

I'll second Catch here in that I wouldn't mind trading Batum or even Marv ... but I don't know that an MKG trade really needs to bring a ton back. Just starting Lamb in MKG's place would have made a big difference this year IMHO.