Official Welcome to the Bobcats MKG Thread

[Black]

Forget DashGlobal's negative ass.

This pick is exactly the kind of pick a rebuilding team should make. I wanted Robinson, but I trust Cho here. MKG doesn't need to be great next year; he needs to learn, and improve.

Welcome aboard MKG, put in work.

[ND22]

Also wanted Robinson at 2, but I think MKG will work out. His hard work shouldn't be undervalued when he has the size and athleticism to match.

[Black]

Not to mention, we needed a small forward more than any other position. Glad it wasn't Barnes.

We have to accept that Tyrus isn't going anywhere, and will probably start. Hopefully Dunlap can get the most out of him.

[bes628]

Ill support him obviously his offensive game leaves alot to be desired.

[SJackson1]

18 years old and has alot of talent offensivley and defensivley and i think he will be a great player for the Bobcats !. He reminds me of Gerald Wallace but with alot more potential and we could have a NBA all defender on our hands

[DashGlobal]

18 years old and has alot of talent offensivley and defensivley and i think he will be a great player for the Bobcats !. He reminds me of Gerald Wallace but with alot more potential and we could have a NBA all defender on our hands

Offensively?

Welcome aboard MKG!

I hope you prove a lot of people wrong (myself included).

I would love to be wrong about this pick :)

[CableBoxCat]

Welcome MKG! Will be fun to watch him develop. I think he has the potential to be a special player.

[SJackson1]

his road to stardom starts here !

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm officially on the MKG bandwagon

#TrustInRichCho

[ohara831]

Very happy to have him in Charlotte! Going to be a great Bobcat!

[SJackson1]

im really excited about our team right now with Kemba, Hendo, Biyombo and MKG we have 4 very good potential players !

[BlockParty]

Welcome to the Cats family MKG! Time to be just like your coach, out work, out prepare and out hustle your competition!

[Potato]

YES BABY GET SILLY GET SILLY

Perry Jones or Arnett Moultrie at 31 please!

[ziggy]

YES BABY GET SILLY GET SILLY

Perry Jones or Arnett Moultrie at 31 please!

You'll need to settle for Jeff Taylor

[superb1]

Welcome MKG to the Queen City

[Bosnian-Bobcats-Fan]

Welcome to charlotte mkg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dcarnys]

Glad to see MKG in Charlotte!!

[TheBeagle]

Love the pick! MKG! MKG! MKG!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76O94dMT-nI


Welcome aboard.

[Proudiddy]

I really hope Cho knows what he's doing with this pick, I'm not an MKG guy, but I hope he is awesome - I have no other choice, lol.

I'm actually more excited about the Taylor pick but I hope they both become great for us... We need it.

[GoBobs]

I am super excited about this pick, exactly what I was hoping for since the lottery. Even when there was a chance we would get Davis I was thinking it might be tough to pick between the two.

MKG has things that don't show up in the stat sheet. You can't teach toughness or desire to win. Those have to come from the player. This guy has plenty of both.

There was a time when the Bobcats planned to build around guys who had what it takes between the ears. I feel like we are getting back to that with Kemba, Bismack, and now MKG.

[SJackson1]

Kemba, Biyombo, MKG have an average age of 19.5 !

[dnbman]

Kemba, Biyombo, MKG have an average age of 19.5 !

Was just thinking that. And they all seem to have great attitudes. Great young core.

Welcome MKG. While I had Robinson as my pick, the back of my mind was thinking we'd make a mistake passing on you. Make us proud!

[SJackson1]

Was just thinking that. And they all seem to have great attitudes. Great young core.

Welcome MKG. While I had Robinson as my pick, the back of my mind was thinking we'd make a mistake passing on you. Make us proud!

yes a very good core for our franchise for the coming years. i think we need to sign a experienced PF in Free agency so that we can get that leadership in our starting lineup

[Kemba2Hendo]

Welcome to the Bobcats MKG

[QC Thundercats]

The negative MKG thread has too much traction, so I'm gonna post in here instead.

Having a chance to reflect on this pick, here's my thoughts on the decision....First, Michael Kidd-Gilchrest was the last name I expected to be called for us. I was completely on the Thor train, as I think we needed more of a post presence and great rebounder to balance and round out the team. I was half expecting to hear Beal as part of a trade back. But MKG was out of nowhere to me based on all the comments and rumors, and I can't say I'm not still disappointed that we didn't grab Robinson.

Basically, we all know MKG's weaknesses up and down, all his deficiencies, warts, wrinkles, shortcomings, etc. What I was trying to do was flip it and look at the positives to help convince myself that this was the right pick, and maybe bring some perspective to the skeptical.

First, as I stated in another thread, I couldn't understand why the national media was so high on him and completely ignored his weaknesses, as they normally would kill other prospects with the same holes. But thinking about it more, it wasn't just a Chad Ford or other singular journalist who was hyping him up, it was an all across the board consensus from every basketball analyst in the know. Jay Bilas, Ford, Simmons, Amick, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, DraftExpress, everyone.

And on top of that, the consensus among all the NBA's GMs, who are highly paid for their evaluations, seemed to have him among the top 4.

So my limited viewing of only a handful of his games I guess wasn't enough to fully understand his game, as all the GMs and analysts had tons more game tape, interviews, and other sources to get a better picture. And Cho himself, who everyone was saying just a few hours ago that they trusted with their lives and could do no wrong - especially with his matrix like database - decided he was the best pick. Everyone sees something more special with him that isn't normally there for a player with his skillset and dimensions, and so I think that this actually should hold much greater weight than we've given it.

Second, everyone was saying there is no franchise type players after Davis, only a ton of depth of very good players. So knowing that we might not be able to identify a franchise player with this pick, what would be acceptable?

Let me ask this - for all us fans who have been here since the very beginning, who is your favorite Bobcat player of all time, hands down? It has to be Crash, 100 times out of 100, or you're a lying bastard. I know I wasn't the only one that felt completely down when he was traded, as we learned to appreciate and love his relentless, crashing style, and knew he could compete with anyone in the league despite his shortcomings.

Well MKG reminds me exactly of Crash in just about every aspect of his game, from his motor, defense, rebounding, flawed shooting, and his will to dunk on everyone in his way. We are basically getting another, fresher decade of Crash, who at 18 I think is ahead of Wallace at the same point, and has potential to be much better. With no franchise player, the next type of Cho player on his list is core players, and this is what MKG is.

Last point regarding his weaknesses. MKG shot a pretty bad, 13-51 from 3 for 25%. Now, our second round pick is known as a knockdown shooter, hitting 66 threes at 42.3%. Well, when he was 18, Taylor shot a horrific 9-41 for 22%, then followed up the next year at 1-11 for 9%. Why are we not giving MKG the same chance to improve as such after one year? If Taylor could enter the draft after two years, he'd be called one of the worst shooting prospects in the draft. But now he is considered one of the best.

As for his ball handling, Crash himself was pretty sloppy early on in his career. But he improved it enough to the point where he was leading fastbreaks with creative moves and could get to the basket at will. You don't need fancy crossovers or behind the back moves as a SF, just decent enough dribbling to blow by the defender or make him drop off you for an open shot.

So overall, with his currently decent toolkit and his "Breakfast club" work ethic, I think he will develop his offensive skills above Crash's level (which was just under 20 ppg at his peak), and to go along with his Sefolosha/Bowen/Tony Allen type potential shutdown defense, I'm feeling better about this pick after writing this. Thanks me.

[x2pacalypse]

i can't wait till anthony davis' lanky frame gets the shit beat out of it on a daily basis and he becomes the next shawn bradley :-D...and I also can't wait till MKG becomes the slasher we desperately need

[cltblkhscoach]

Welcome MKG. You have two years to develop a jumper. I will gladly help you on my off days from work.

[ziggy]

Welcome to Charlotte MKG,

I was torn between T-Rob and Beal as my selections and I sincerely hope that passing on those 2 don't come back to bite us in the future.

But you are a Charlotte Bobcat now and we as fans will be pulling for you and we look forward to seeing you compete.

[dnbman]

Higgins' comment after the game was that in 30 years experience in the game, he knows that a guy who wants to improve his shot can improve his shot, especially a guy like MKG who is a tireless worker.

QC, great comparison to Taylor. Guys like Bowen and Horry come to mind who weren't great three point shooters, but turned into deadly snipers later in their careers.

[Hormel]

Well, maybe we wanted to get someone who can develop into a great player, and still suck enough to land the #1 next year

[spectre]

I'm excited to have you! Unlike a lot of our draft picks you have a starting gig right off the bat and you have a coach that's going to help you become great! If Cho says you're the BPA then I have no doubt that you're going to prove all your supporters right and your doubters wrong.

Here's to a loooonnnggg successful career as a Bobcat!

[amour217]

Welcome to the QC, MKG! Best of luck to you!

I will say this: lots of people out there questioning our pick, and that's fine...but one thing that everyone agrees on is that MKG has a good motor and works hard. Time to put those skills to major work, dude...keep at it and prove the haters wrong.

[IshHappens]

I got on here this morning expecting an excited discussion of MKG and see an 11-page hate thread. SMH.

I think it's a solid pick. I wouldn't have been disappointed with MKG, Robinson, or Beal and I'm glad we got one of the three. The only disappointment would stem from not being able to trade down to 4 and get an additional first rounder out of it, but I trust Cho did everything necessary to try and make that happen. It looks to me like the front office fell in love with MKG after his workout and held their cards VERY close while trying to make potential deals. Everybody (including this forum) thought it was definitely Robinson or Barnes, which is likely exactly what the Charlotte front office was hoping for. Remember Washington trying to block the trade by threatening to take Robinson? LOL. That wouldn't have even mattered. It was a smart tactic.

As for MKG, the lowest grade I've seen for him this morning was a B-. Most everybody likes him. He's 18, a relentless worker, a winner, a long defender, attacks the basket, and is driven to improve his jump shot. He'll become a fan favorite very quickly by doing those things and will have a bright future in Charlotte. We've got a core in place right now with MKG, Bismack, and Kemba that can grow together. They all bring something different to the table and they're all legitimately good character guys who want to improve, and will give some optimism to a franchise that hasn't had much in their short history.

I'm genuinely excited about this season now. We'll likely be awful again, but our young guys will get tons of playing time and experience, we'll get another high pick next year, and then I honestly believe the upswing will begin. You can start to see what Cho is doing and it's great to see the franchise finally have a plan in place to get better, instead of randomly doing shit that puts us in financial trouble.

As a Bobcat fan, the least you can do is support the guy. I remember the hate Cam got when he was drafted #1. No character, one year wonder, can't outrun defenders in the NFL, questionable football IQ. Sometimes the guys getting paid to make the decisions actually know more than us message board posters. Crazy, I know.

[polarcat]

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome MKG!! I trust in Cho, so I have no doubt you will be a solid piece to our puzzle. I know you're the youngest player in this draft and have a few mechanics issues to work on offensively, but once that is sorted out, we will have an All-Star on our hands. You can't teach the level of leadership and intangibles you have. I'm looking forward to watching you for quite sometime. Now, all we have to do is surround you with some more talent and watch this franchise grow.

[adam187]

can't wait to see some sick throwdown dunks and insane "sit yo ass down" blocks!

happy to have the youngest player in the nba 2 years in a row.

[G Wuh Wuh Wuh Wallace]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTOzcSqivEI&feature=player_embedded


I know all of you have watched this video 100 times just like me but I was looking it over again this morning and was analyzing his fit. Can you guys imagine him and kemba flying up the floor on a break? We may be god awful again this year but we will be very exciting. Also his ability to post-up and rebound intrigues me. I think he will get his shot together just like hendo has but box-out and body-up skills are really high for a kid his age. Slowly starting to think this kid will be a star.

PS. He can really Yam it too!

[SWedd523]

Ron Artest with a brain.
A better Gerald Wallace.


people are going to LOVE him

[SJackson1]

some experts say he's a bit like Pippen which is a hige compliment considering his age !

[ammofan]

I love him alot more now than I did last night and I never disliked him. I think he's a great kid and will do big things here. I'm very excited.

[ncstamey]

I'm on board... can't wait for the season to start!!

[SWedd523]

For all those thinking Cho wasn't happy about drafting him, based on the presser. Take a look at this:

http://www.nba.com/bobcats/sites/bobcats/files/imagecache/image_gallery_default/120629_players_06.jpg

[spectre]

For all those thinking Cho wasn't happy about drafting him, based on the presser. Take a look at this:

http://www.nba.com/bobcats/sites/bobcats/files/imagecache/image_gallery_default/120629_players_06.jpg

People are actually thinking that? MKG screams Cho!

Every guy we've drafted since Cho has had an insane work ethic and a drive to get them and the team better. What's Ben Gordon known for other than his 3 pt shot? His insane work ethic!

Can you imagine this not being Cho's pick and then him standing up there in front of the camera for 15 minutes saying how MKG was best available and they didn't want to run the risk of losing him and it being nothing but...a Higgins?

I think he'd resign before he did that.

[dnbman]

For all those thinking Cho wasn't happy about drafting him, based on the presser. Take a look at this:

http://www.nba.com/bobcats/sites/bobcats/files/imagecache/image_gallery_default/120629_players_06.jpg

Maybe he's stabbing him in the stomach there. Thought the only way to get that close was to draft him.

[SJackson1]

im actually looking foward to next season quite a bit becasue our young players will get an off season such as Kemba, Biyombo, MKG and Mullens. This will give them more time to work on their game and for Dunlap to teach them about his methods of play

[BlockParty]

Nice article by Soreson on MKG's Mom, evolution of his hyphenated name, his speech problems and his overall upbringing:

He reminds me of Biyombo

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/06/29/3352699/mothers-love-speaks-volumes-about.html#storylink=cpy

By Tom Sorensen
tsorensen@charlotteobserver.com


A good mom understands her son is special. Give her the opportunity she’ll tell you why.

The world can be hard, even the world of the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NBA draft. A good mom offers a soft place to land.

The Charlotte Bobcats invested the No. 2 pick on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of Kentucky, and the Bobcats held an introductory news conference for him Friday at Time Warner Cable Arena. Family accompanied him, among them his stepfather Vincent Richardson and mother Cynthia Richardson. They sit in folding chairs in the first row.

How would you describe Kidd-Gilchrist to people who know him only as a basketball player.

“My boy is a very warmhearted quiet spirit,” Cynthia Richardson says. “You know he’s such a good boy, he’s so motivated, he’s so driven. Michael is a beautiful person…Michael is the most beautiful person I ever met. You know he doesn’t have malice in his heart.”

Tell that to the players he guards.

Kidd-Gilchrist’s enthusiasm for basketball borders on joy. But when he talks about basketball with the media the joy goes away. A scrum of about 12 sportscasters, sportswriters, cameramen and photographers waited for him after he auditioned for the Bobcats on their practice court last week. Kidd-Gilchrist didn’t look scared. He looked terrified.

He was courteous. But when he attempted an expansive answer he would stutter slightly, and then back off, and replace the original with a one or two-syllable reply.

Is he shy?

“Noooo, noooo,” says Richardson, 45. “He’s really not shy. The public persona might be that he’s shy but he’s just a private guy.”

She adds: “I’m just going to tell you he doesn’t do media well. Part of it is the speech and part of it is he just does not like it. I think a lot of it is because growing up we never allowed him to do it.”

The family tried to minimize attention and allow Kidd-Gilchrist to live a normal, quiet, middle school and high school life. That he was not interested in interviews made the decision easier.

“He gets very anxiety ridden,” Richardson says.

She also says he can’t expect to avoid it.

“Now that you’re a professional and it’s your job it’s something that has to be done,” Richardson says.

Full Article (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/06/29/3352699/mothers-love-speaks-volumes-about.html#storylink=cpy)

[Potato]

WHAT AN ARTICLE, I really didn't know all Michael went through as a kid. I knew his uncle died the day he signed but I didn't know his real dad was shot and killed at 2. I do think Charlotte is a great fit for MKG, spotlight won't always be on him in this small-market. He's obviously got a lot of talent, but you can also tell he worked so hard for this and he completely deserves it. I could be completely wrong, but he doesn't seem like the type of guy that would leave us for NYC, LA, etc when he becomes one of the premier players in the league, because he's going to become one of the premier players in the league. He's not gonna be Kevin Durant, but Andre Igoudala is a great comparison for MKG. You can tell MKG is truly committed to winning in Charlotte and not gonna be here just waiting for his time to leave, if we can add one more key piece around him we have our first franchise player. I've been a Bobcats fan since 2004 and I'm yet to say that about anyone we've ever drafted. I'm so pumped and you can bet I'll be in TWC with a MKG jersey on next year.

[TheBeagle]

Beat me to it, BP!

Yeah, read that article and if you didn't love him already, you will now.

Also it's worth watching the last minute of MKG's and Taylor's press conference: You can see how great a personality and fun he really is:

http://www.nba.com/bobcats/video/2012/06/29/120629gilchristtaylorm4v-2142321



I'm with Potato: I found the dude I'm getting my authentic road jersey of (yeah, terrible grammar, I know).

[DCAWFAN]

Beat me to it, BP!

Yeah, read that article and if you didn't love him already, you will now.

Also it's worth watching the last minute of MKG's and Taylor's press conference: You can see how great a personality and fun he really is:

http://www.nba.com/bobcats/video/2012/06/29/120629gilchristtaylorm4v-2142321



I'm with Potato: I found the dude I'm getting my authentic road jersey of (yeah, terrible grammar, I know).
"Mmm, my team lost games." Great quote from Taylor. However just to put it out there. His team was one of two teams all season to beat uk.

[Whiz Kid]

Just like the hiring of Dunlap, I'm warming up to the guy. We've got a lot of potential on this team which is what outsiders don't see. Can't wait to see development from MKG and all of our players.

[ALong13]

I just hope he gets more comfortable in front of the camera and during interviews. Not trying to pick on him, but I got absolutely nothing out of his side of the press conference. Only thing I learned is that he likes the phrase, "I mean umm, umm, I mean Umm" more than a teenage girl likes the word "like"

For the value of our picks I think Jeffery Taylor who some had in early 20's was our better value. Great defender, better shooter, ready to work. Man could be a steal and will be great off the bench, hoping he is the first SF off the bench and is playing when we need a stop.

[Bosnian-Bobcats-Fan]

Already love this kid....all that he's went through and still successfull......he'll be great for us...i got a feeling he will be a star...i know many aren't predicting that i just have that feeling

[Potato]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TWJe1DsB_rQ

[QC Thundercats]

Here's a good interview that MKG and Jeff Taylor did on WFNZ:

http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2F redirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2F d0%2Fd1%2Fd0%2FdS%2FdP%2FdJ%2F10SPJ_3.MP3&podcast_name=The+Drive&podcast_artist=Jay+Weezie&station_id=61&audio_link=true&config_file=config.xml&dcid=CBS.CHARLOTTE

He definitely sounds much more comfortable on the radio than in front of cameras. The hosts seemed cognizant of his speech and anxiety problems and did a good job of making him feel more comfortable to speak. He only kind of froze up one time, but other than that, he seemed like he had a good sense of humor, and kinda showed both his competitive fire and humbleness all at once.

I like Taylor's personality a lot too, and it seemed that both of them had started up a good friendship and already had good chemistry. I'm excited about our Small Forwards of the future.

The clip is about 14 minutes, but its a good listen to get more insight on them. A few highlights if you don't have time to listen:

1) Said he's a one of a kind player with no comparisons, but did say he would like to be like Pippen
2) Likes the city of Charlotte, says it feels like home. Also has family nearby in Winston Salem
3) Said the first thing he'd buy with all his new found riches as a #2 pick is a dog

[SWedd523]

First purchase is a dog?

now that's a guy who has his priorities straight

[ND22]

He was so much more comfortable in that radio interview. Seems to be getting along with Jeff Taylor already. Excited to see them play! Summer league needs to start soon!

[SJackson1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWJe1DsB_rQ

[Kemba2Hendo]

Cool video Potato

[polarcat]

http://c-product.images.dreamsretail.com/24-03/24-03756-Y.jpg

Don't know what number he will wear but I like the look of it. I know he wore 9 and 31 in HS, but maybe if he wants to be like Scotty Pippen he can wrestle #33 away from the albatross that is Matt Carroll.

[ammofan]

http://c-product.images.dreamsretail.com/24-03/24-03756-Y.jpg

Don't know what number he will wear but I like the look of it. I know he wore 9 and 31 in HS, but maybe if he wants to be like Scotty Pippen he can wrestle #33 away from the albatross that is Matt Carroll.

#33 is open. Matt is back to 13. And Hendo has #9 so that's not happening, I'm cool with 33. I wish he could just get 14 since DJA probably not gonna resign. Or we're not gonna match.

[Hormel]

Today I learned MKG watches the Lion King once a week

http://blog.nj.com/hssportsextra/2010/08/st_patricks_michael_gilchrist.html


But once a week, when Michael Gilchrist needs comfort, he watches “The Lion King.”

[ncstamey]

in an interview a while back MKG said he hoped to wear #31 in the NBA as it was his fathers old number.

[Mustachio]

Today I learned MKG watches the Lion King once a week

http://blog.nj.com/hssportsextra/2010/08/st_patricks_michael_gilchrist.html



He sees Simba, the young lion, cry out after the death of his father. And each time he does, the best high school basketball player in the country sees somebody else.

He sees himself.

Kemba and Simba. A nickname is born.

[amour217]

Kemba and Simba. A nickname is born.

And re-sign Sean May just so he can be Pumbaa

[BlockParty]

in an interview a while back MKG said he hoped to wear #31 in the NBA as it was his fathers old number.

Paging McBeastie...make the #31 Jersey happen before adidias

[McBeastie]

Paging McBeastie...make the #31 Jersey happen before adidias

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7701/mkg31.png

[BlockParty]

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7701/mkg31.png

Well done!

[spectre]

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=andre-iguodala&i=1&p1=michael-kidd-gilchrist

Interesting site I just ran across. It allows you to compare college players past and present.

[polarcat]

EDIT: oops

[polarcat]

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7701/mkg31.png


Beautiful, as always senor. I like that number on him and reminds me of Reggie Miller a little bit, and love the fact that he's doing it as an ode to his father too.

[BlockParty]

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=andre-iguodala&i=1&p1=michael-kidd-gilchrist

Interesting site I just ran across. It allows you to compare college players past and present.


Nice site, to make it apples to apples...I looked at Iggy's stats his Freshman year with MKG's Freshman year. Iggy's stats in Pts, rebounds and assists nearly doubled in every category...w/ Kentucky's roster being cleansed, it's possible his would've done the same if he stayed another season....that would make MKG a much better pick (not that he isn't a good one anyway).

[SJackson1]

MKG could easily average a double double in the NBA becasue he his a great rebounder and he his one of the best finishers ive seen this year.

[Whiz Kid]

MKG could easily average a double double in the NBA becasue he his a great rebounder and he his one of the best finishers ive seen this year.

Bold statement. VERY bold statement.

[TheBeagle]

Here's a good interview that MKG and Jeff Taylor did on WFNZ:

http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2F redirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2F d0%2Fd1%2Fd0%2FdS%2FdP%2FdJ%2F10SPJ_3.MP3&podcast_name=The+Drive&podcast_artist=Jay+Weezie&station_id=61&audio_link=true&config_file=config.xml&dcid=CBS.CHARLOTTE

2) Likes the city of Charlotte, says it feels like home. Also has family nearby in Winston Salem
Hmmmm. Wonder if his family would be down for some carpooling...I'd chip in for gas!