tedginnjr
NBA Starter
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2006
- Messages
- 3,407
- Reaction score
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Projection Top 5 Pick
Positives
Elite athlete
Amazing motor
Tough, physical defender
Excellent rebounder
Attacks the rim on offense
Negatives
Lacks a consistent perimeter game
Notes No notes available
Mar 26 Update: After struggling with a 1-for-4 performance against Iowa State last weekend, and after reacting angrily to my report that he would declare for the draft after Kentucky's season ended -- MKG delivered two of his best games of the season for Kentucky versus Indiana and Baylor.
Kidd-Gilchrist was relentless taking the ball to the rim and doing what he does best -- finishing on the break and in traffic. If there was ever any question about who the second best talent is in the draft, after this weekend I think Kidd-Gilchrist put it to rest. Yes, he needs to continue to work on that jumper and creating his own offense. But his non-stop motor, toughness and ability to get the basket make him the clear cut No. 2 player in the draft. He's a warrior.
Mar 22 Update: In early March, Kentucky freshman forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist told the media that he would forgo the lures of the NBA draft and stay in school.
"I'm graduating here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying at Kentucky."
After a few skeptical reporters laughed, he retorted, "I'm dead serious. I don't know why y'all laughing."
Turns out their skepticism was warranted.
Multiple sources close to Kidd-Gilchrist told ESPN.com on Thursday that Kidd-Gilchrist will enter the 2012 NBA draft after Kentucky's season ends.
"He hopes he'll be able to announce right after they win the NCAA championship," one source said. "But even if they don't win it all, he's coming. He knows he's going to be a Top 5 pick. He can't pass that up."
There's a long history of top players claiming toward the end of the season that they are returning to college, only to do a 180 a few weeks later once they get confirmation they will be a lottery pick. More often than not, when a top prospect says he's staying in school, you can go ahead and pull out the Sharpie and write him into the draft.
While I think Kidd-Gilchrist was serious about staying in school when he uttered those statements, I don't think he fully understood how highly ranked he was among NBA GMs.
We have Kidd-Gilchrist ranked No. 2 on our Big Board and he also goes No. 2 in our Lottery Mock Draft and full Mock Draft.
While Kidd-Gilchrist still has things to work on -- he's not a great jump shooter and can struggle at times to create his own shot -- most GMs are in love with his talent. He's a terrific athlete, can defend multiple positions, plays with toughness and an unbelievable motor and he's improved greatly on the offensive end. Even a recent swoon offensively doesn't seem to be hurting him.
Kidd-Gilchrist had just 2 points in a win against Iowa State on Saturday. But I spoke with numerous GMs who watched the game and didn't have any concerns.
"He's the type of kid that you always want on your team," a GM said. "Coaches love him, his teammates love him and he does all the little things that matter on the court. He cares about winning and that's it. I doubt he ever looks at a box score."
Mar 12 Update: The Good: He. Will. Not. Stop. Kidd-Gilchrist is probably the toughest wing player in the draft. He goes and goes and goes, on both ends. He's selfless and will do whatever it takes for his team to win. He's a natural leader who has quickly taken the lead on the Kentucky team. He can lock down defend multiple positions. Great athlete. He's excellent in transition and in slashing to the basket. Has surprised us with an emerging perimeter game.
The Bad: He needs to continue to work on his jump shot. If he can ever become a serious threat from 3e, he's going to be very hard to stop.
The Upside: On paper, or in an isolated Synergy scouting session, you could probably pick apart Kidd-Gilchrist's game. But when you watch what he does in the flow of the game, he's every coach's dream. All he cares about is winning. He currently sits at No. 2 on our Big Board.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ranks #1 amongst NCAA prospects in transition scoring efficiency. Finishes 71% of his attempts there.
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