Motor Keeps Going: The Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Thread III

[BeesWax]

I do understand that there's an age difference between the two of them and it would be easier for any of the 450 players to play in Golden State, I honestly do. But I think that some people on here do underestimate Draymond Green.

He's a capable three point shooter;
He's an excellent passer, not only benefiting from playing for the Dubs but making assists in tight areas, catching the ball on the move in the pick-n-roll and passing it further in one motion;
He can legitimately play center in some situations, creating a nightmare 5-man unit for opposing teams. It's no sparse happening either. Golden State's sixth most used line-up features Draymond as the center.

Those three aspects of the game are something that MKG isn't even close to being able to do.

The thing is I am not sure you won't be able to see MKG do everything defensively that Green can do now in 2 years. They were about the same size at the combine. Standing reach and everything was so very close. If MKG adds some muscle as he gets older he could easily do anything that Green can do currently since he is a better athlete and just as long. MKG does not shoot as well but has much better handles already. Despite the age difference they are not very far off right now.

Yeah, sure. That's why I didn't really mention defense, apart from Green playing center which is something I'm not even sure that I'd want MKG to attempt to do.

ugh... as far as Mike's handles go... I think they're rather mediocre, but it seems like some like them more than I do.

I am not saying MKG can run point but he has a 10x better chance of going coast to coast vs a solo defender than Green. Green is not even a very good driver unless he has a much slower matchup. I would not want MKG to guard small centers but I do think in a couple years with some added muscle with age he could be as effective at it as Green. I think in both cases it is mostly for mismatches on the offensive end and not that they would be great defenders there.

[LamarMatic7]

The thing is I am not sure you won't be able to see MKG do everything defensively that Green can do now in 2 years. They were about the same size at the combine. Standing reach and everything was so very close. If MKG adds some muscle as he gets older he could easily do anything that Green can do currently since he is a better athlete and just as long. MKG does not shoot as well but has much better handles already. Despite the age difference they are not very far off right now.

Yeah, sure. That's why I didn't really mention defense, apart from Green playing center which is something I'm not even sure that I'd want MKG to attempt to do.

ugh... as far as Mike's handles go... I think they're rather mediocre, but it seems like some like them more than I do.

I am not saying MKG can run point but he has a 10x better chance of going coast to coast vs a solo defender than Green. Green is not even a very good driver unless he has a much slower matchup. I would not want MKG to guard small centers but I do think in a couple years with some added muscle with age he could be as effective at it as Green. I think in both cases it is mostly for mismatches on the offensive end and not that they would be great defenders there.

at this point I'm not comparing him to Green. just saying that the ball tends to slip out his hands a lot. he has a lot of weird fumbles when handling the ball.

[yosemiteben]

Green does not have close to the quickness or springiness that MKG has, though I'm curious how much that will change for MKG if he puts on some weight. They both have a high motor but, like jdm said, Green isn't going coast to coast and beating guys to the basket.

I think Green's shooting is pretty overrated - he plays in a dream offense for setting up shots, both due to the structure of the offense and to all the attention Klay and Steph get, yet he's only shooting 34% from outside, below league average.

I honestly don't know how I'd assess MKG's passing. I guess I'd just say that he seems to have a relatively high IQ and he does what we ask him to do. We don't really use him in situations that lead to great passing opportunities for him like PNRs.

I know it was a caveat in Lamar's post, but you can't underestimate the value of four full years worth of experience. When Green was 21 he was posting just pretty good numbers (12.6 ppg on 42% fg, 8.6 rpg) for MSU.

[Braggins]

If we were the Knicks then MKG would be a shoe in for DPOY. We've had I think the #1 defense since he's returned from that early injury that kept him out about a month.

We're #2 since then. #3 since Cody became a starter.

Zeller and MKG are going to be a really, really nice defensive pairing for years to come. Exciting to think about.

The defensive potential with MKG and all our young bigs is off the charts. MKG with and two of Zeller, Biz, and Vonleh, could make us a perennial top 5 defense. I actually think if Al wasn't on our team we would be in the running for best defense in the league this year.

[JDR720]

If we can fix the guard (mainly SG) position with a young sharpshooter, I think our core is pretty awesome.

(using Booker as the young SG)

Kemba
Booker/PJ
MKG
Vonleh/Zeller
Bismack

get a shooter at backup PG and SF and a backup C with some skill, and we would be set. Really good mix of offense and defense, solid rebounding too.

[Liver_Pooty]

Vonleh is going to have to improve a ton to get any minutes or even start over Zeller. He is not even close, remotely close to NBA starter material right now.

[JDR720]

Green does not have close to the quickness or springiness that MKG has, though I'm curious how much that will change for MKG if he puts on some weight. They both have a high motor but, like jdm said, Green isn't going coast to coast and beating guys to the basket.

I think Green's shooting is pretty overrated - he plays in a dream offense for setting up shots, both due to the structure of the offense and to all the attention Klay and Steph get, yet he's only shooting 34% from outside, below league average.

I honestly don't know how I'd assess MKG's passing. I guess I'd just say that he seems to have a relatively high IQ and he does what we ask him to do. We don't really use him in situations that lead to great passing opportunities for him like PNRs.

I know it was a caveat in Lamar's post, but you can't underestimate the value of four full years worth of experience. When Green was 21 he was posting just pretty good numbers (12.6 ppg on 42% fg, 8.6 rpg) for MSU.

If MKG can put on 10 pounds of upper body strength, I think we could play him at PF. I dont think I would though (would rather him lock down perimiter players), if he can add some sort of post game he can easily post up smaller SF's with the added strength.

Didn't we let MKG play PG in summer league a year or two ago? Im not sure about his passing ability, its probably average. He does do a good job with post passes to Al and he has thrown some inbound lobs to Gerald before.

If MKG can get a 30% 3pt shot I think that would be great, he shot 25% at UK so I dont see why he cant.

[HornetJail]

Vonleh is going to have to improve a ton to get any minutes or even start over Zeller. He is not even close, remotely close to NBA starter material right now.

I don't understand how we can conclude this from the 30 minutes or whatever amount he's played this year.

[Liver_Pooty]

Vonleh is going to have to improve a ton to get any minutes or even start over Zeller. He is not even close, remotely close to NBA starter material right now.

I don't understand how we can conclude this from the 30 minutes or whatever amount he's played this year.

That's why he's gotten that amount of playing time. Not like he was all world at Indiana either. Ton of potential, but may take him a bit to get there.

[BeesWax]

Vonleh is going to have to improve a ton to get any minutes or even start over Zeller. He is not even close, remotely close to NBA starter material right now.

I don't understand how we can conclude this from the 30 minutes or whatever amount he's played this year.

That's why he's gotten that amount of playing time. Not like he was all world at Indiana either. Ton of potential, but may take him a bit to get there.

You say this but Cody really wasn't any better and he was starting in year 2. Noah should play now in a number of spots over Maxiell but coach just refuses to do it. I think it has a chance to be a rather quick turnaround due to his ability to both block shots and shoot.

Pairing him with MKG and Biz with Zeller coming off the bench as the first big would be nice. Lots of rim protection in the first group and enough versatility to play any of the three bigs together. Add that o MKG locking down the best perimeter player and our defense could get even better from where we are now. Having a bench that can not be such a huge drop off on defense would be nice compared to what we use now when Biz starts.

[yosemiteben]

I don't think it's a good faith argument that Cody, who was a second team All American and featured player of a dominant top five team, did not have a better college career than Vonleh.

[BeesWax]

It is and they were but this is the wrong thread for this discussion.

[LamarMatic7]

Zach Lowe named MKG as a starter for his Marc Gasol All-Stars, players he has enjoyed watching the most this season.

FC: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

If you don’t like MKG, you probably leave your dog’s poop on the sidewalk, stand on the left side of escalators, and play your iPod so loudly on the subway that we can all hear the terrible music you like. That is to say, if you don’t like MKG, I question your basic human values.

He’s another Mirror Guy, only with even more in-your-jersey ferociousness. He wants to be the greatest defender in NBA history. That’s his goal — not to score 20 per game or make 10 All-Star teams, but to be the best defender ever. How can you not root for that? The Hornets saved their season by buckling down on defense in January when Al Jefferson got hurt, and MKG has kept them humming on that end since.

And he never stops competing, to the point where you almost worry for his physical health. He rebounds on both ends like a power forward, and the Hornets have used him a bit there with Al Jefferson hurt again. He is a superhuman transition defender, chasing plays on which others would quit:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL-w8mjJFqU[/youtube]

His remade jumper is working better, but the 3-point arc still seems miles away, and nobody guards him as he hovers 18 feet from the basket. He’s still a net negative for Charlotte’s spacing.1 But MKG has learned to leverage the defense’s inattention, and the Hornets are scoring more efficiently with him on the floor.2

Watch Kidd-Gilchrist burn the Kings when Omri Casspi ditches him to patrol a Marvin Williams pick-and-pop:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEGaoVPM_wQ[/youtube]

Casspi can’t regain his balance after finding Kidd-Gilchrist at the end of a cut, and MKG has been hunting little seams like this all season. It’s hard to attack and finish when guys sag off of you, but MKG has learned to drive into their bodies, spin off of contact, and finish with runners off the glass. Love MKG or die.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-2 ... n-the-nba/

[Tupik]

Man I'm seeing more and more people and writers talking about MKG and I'm loving it. He might be able to get a all-NBA defensive team this year, which he totally deserves. Most of us have been very high on him basically since he's entered the league, and I'm really glad that other people are catching on, he clearly deserves it. Here's to hoping he'll finish the season with a first-team all defense even though I doubt it'll be this year.

[BlackOutBuzz]

On the Rivers chasedown block.

http://friendlybounce.com/2015/03/17/mi ... um=twitter

[Flip Murray]

Simmons Part III Trade Value Column

UPDATE: Matthews was earmarked for an $80 million to $90 million market max payday before that unfortunate Achilles injury. What a bummer. If you gave me a do-over, I’d stick Matthews on the Trade Value DL, move Oladipo into this group and give Oladipo’s old spot to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Why? Because MKG is destroying people on defense, to the point that he boasted, “I want to be the best defender ever” last week — and nobody laughed. Kawhi and MKG are in the Finals in any “Which Guy Would You NOT Want Guarding You If You Had To Score A Basket To Save Your Own Life?” contest.

http://grantland.com/features/2015-nba- ... countdown/

MKG starting to gain attention. Looks like Grantland is driving the bandwagon.

[fatlever]

Does anyone have a gif/vine of the play where MKG was guarding Chris Paul, then switched over the Blake Griffin and stripped him?

[-Ian-]

Does anyone have a gif/vine of the play where MKG was guarding Chris Paul, then switched over the Blake Griffin and stripped him?

We need that.

[BlackOutBuzz]

Not what yall are talking about but I did find this:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/FlyByKnite/status/578043622219644929[/tweet]

[ball teacher]

If MKG can put on 10 pounds of upper body strength, I think we could play him at PF. I dont think I would though (would rather him lock down perimiter players), if he can add some sort of post game he can easily post up smaller SF's with the added strength.

Didn't we let MKG play PG in summer league a year or two ago? Im not sure about his passing ability, its probably average. He does do a good job with post passes to Al and he has thrown some inbound lobs to Gerald before.

If MKG can get a 30% 3pt shot I think that would be great, he shot 25% at UK so I dont see why he cant.

Two things we did that really hurt MKG is not giving him more minutes in his first two seasons (which includes down the stretch of games), and trying to change the form on his shot. You should never ever try to remake a shot form at this stage of someones career, it's too much psychologically, we would've been better just having him gain more confidence by encouraging him to shoot and by having more reps shooting in practice, encouragement does wonders for ones confidence, on the other hand, treating him like a offensive liability to the extent that we have, could've ruined his confidence, and most here have made mention of his lack of confidence at times.

MKG should strengthen his core, and his upper body to be better equipped to handle his aggressive, slashing style of play. We should encourage him to develop a nice floater since he has a hitch that could impede his shot off the dribble. More repetitions in practice with his shot will make it improve, not a 3 year program where you reteach form. Deandre Jordan's mom said that Jordan was a good free throw shooter in high school, but the college coaches tried to change it and he hasn't been right since. That's because you lose the relaxed natural form and become more robotic and uncomfortable trying to think too much through the shot. MKG should easily be getting 15ptsand about 8 boards per with the right development.