Charlotte Hornets’ Michael Kidd-Gilchrist must improve if he wants a new deal
Back in the 2012 NBA Draft, there was a clear cut number one overall pick in Kentucky Wildcats’ big man Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans selected him. The Charlotte Hornets (then-Bobcats) went on the clock and to the surprise of some, they picked Davis’ Kentucky teammate, forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. So far, the selection really hasn’t paid off, especially when the likes of Portland Trail Blazers’ point guard Damian Lillard and Detroit Pistons’ center Andre Drummond were taken after him.
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Many are considering next season a make-or-break year for Kidd-Gilchrist and Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders doesn’t see the Hornets or any other team investing much in Kidd-Gilchrist unless he takes his play to another level next season.
"Kidd-Gilchrist has a similar problem to Barnes, he was far from impressive as a rookie, but made a lot of progress last year. If he can continue to trend upwards, that could bode well. As things stand, it’s hard to imagine a team investing a ton into Kidd-Gilchrist based on his play up to this point, so he too needs a strong season to cement his future."
Kidd-Gilchrist averaged 7.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 47.3% from the field, 11.1% from beyond the arc and 61.4% from the charity stripe. In the postseason, he put up 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9% from the floor and 60.0% from the free throw line.
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