John Wall, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist/AP
2) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: I’ll let Zach Lowe of Grantland explain why:
Kidd-Gilchrist might be the worst-shooting perimeter player in the league, and despite his hard cuts and ability to get to the line, he just kills Charlotte’s spacing. That is bad. You probably shouldn’t pick guys who can’t shoot at all with the no. 2 pick.
But MKG is becoming a killer defender with exceptional balance. Gordon Hayward told me last week that the hardest part of defense is darting into the paint, bumping a rolling big man, and then scrambling back out to find his original assignment behind the arc. Running around like that while maintaining balance is a brutal challenge, but MKG is already an expert at it. Watch him help on Kenneth Faried’s roll, and then scamper back out to contain Wilson Chandler’s drive:
Great stuff.
Kidd-Gilchrist is one of my favorite defenders to watch for that reason. He closed out incredibly hard on Wilson Chandler, at a speed that would send most defenders reeling if they had to maintain their defensive stance and contest a drive to the basket. But Kidd-Gilchrist stays with the play and forces a bad shot.
Joe Johnson will be Kidd-Gilchrist’s main assignment tonight, and though Johnson’s played well in March, he’ll have his hands full trying to score against MKG’s hounding defense.
Then again, he also shoots like this.
