Charlotte Hornets: Kyrie Irving praises Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s offensive evolution
The four-time all-star point guard had nothing but praise for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist‘s game as the Charlotte Hornets’ swingman continues to improve.
Prior to the Charlotte Hornets‘ home game against the Boston Celtics, Kyrie Irving said that he is “supremely proud” of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s growth this season. (SportingNews.com) Even though MKG has had his fair share of offensive struggles, Kyrie has taken notice of the former 2nd overall pick’s recent development.
The biggest knock on Kidd-Gilchrist’s game since entering the league back in 2012 has been his shooting ability or lack thereof. Charlotte’s training staff has worked with MKG for the past few years to try and improve his jump shot but most would say that he still has one of the worst releases in the NBA today.
Kyrie has really come into his own with Boston so far this season. He is averaging 24.6 points per game, 5.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 48.9% from the field, 41% from three and 89.2% from the free throw line. Considering that the Celtics lost Gordon Hayward on opening night, their climb to the top of the East has been pretty astonishing and it’s thanks in large part to Irving’s play.
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Looking at MKG, he has worked tirelessly to improve his game over the past couple years. Michael is averaging 10.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game in 28 appearances during the 2017-18 campaign so far. Although his stats are pretty close to his career averages, he has made some significant improvement in his mid-range jumper.
After shooting only 38% from mid-range last season, MKG has upped that a bit to 39.8% this year. While the improvement percentage-wise is small, it’s worth noting that he is taking and making more mid-range jumpers than he ever has before in his career. (NBA.com)
When asked about MKG, Kyrie said: “Well MKG, the impact that he makes on their team defensively and now coming together offensively, what he’s been doing over the last month or so of really showcasing that he’s able to step away from the basket and do some other things and bring more energy than he did now that he’s contributing on the offensive end which I’ve been supremely proud of just to see the evolution that he’s gotten better.”
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While slashing and off-ball cuts are still a major part of Michael’s offensive game, he is expanding his repertoire and range a bit this season. It will be interesting to see if Kidd-Gilchrist can continue his improvement offensively but his confidence in his jump shot seems to be at an all-time high and Kyrie Irving, for one, has taken notice. If MKG can couple his great defense with a capable outside shot, he would be one of the best two-way players in the NBA.