SH Blog: Kidd-Gilchrist looking good in Charlotte
Even though he’s the youngest player in the NBA, when someone with the combination of size, athleticism and aggression gains confidence in his abilities and chemistry with his teammates, production could begin to increase and become more consistent.
“It’s getting more and more comfortable. I’m starting to get everything,” Kidd-Gilchrist told the Charlotte Observer. “I love my coaching.”
Even more promising for the Bobcats has to be Gilchrist’s defensive ability; the rook has already shown a knack for getting deflections, steals and blocks. Through 5 games he’s averaging 2.2 blocks and 1.6 steals per contest.
As the season wears on and opposing teams begin to look for ways to slow Gilchrist down, there are a few places they might look to begin:
Make him beat you from the outside: Through five games Kidd-Gilchrist has taken just 12 outside jumpers and made only two of them (16%). In pick-and-roll situations, you may choose to have your big men cheat under screens to deter Kidd-Gilchrist just in case your wing needs some time to recover (as a result of Kidd-Gilchrist’s quick first step and lengthy steps). Play off of him in one-on-one situations; pretty much, force him to get hot from deep. At this point, it’s worth the risk of getting beat off the dribble.
Take charges: As a player who values getting into the paint, try to hurt Kidd-Gilchrist’s confidence by taking charges once he gets there. Force him to be a decision maker; can he pull-up and hit the mid-range jumper/bunny or make the pass to an open teammate? Both are probably better options than having him get all the way to the rim.
Keep him out of transition: This is probably going to end up being the toughest thing to do; Kidd-Gilchrist is electric in the open floor. Twice in the video on the previous page (14 seconds and 1:11 marks, respectively) Kidd-Gilchrist finished the equivalents of coast-to-coast layups. We’re talking fast. While the first one was the result of a blunder by OJ Mayo, the second one was off a defensive rebound. Since Kidd-Gilchrist is an excellent rebounder for his position, along with being a capable dribbler, you can expect him to become more entrusted to make plays in transition as both this season and his career wear on.