Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's jump shot is back... and not in a good way
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GRANT HALVERSON/GETTY IMAGES[/caption]
When Michael Kidd-Gilchrist entered the league, the one knock on him was that he struggled as a shooter. He thrived everywhere else, but after shooting roughly 25% from three at Kentucky, it was evident a change would be necessary when he got to the NBA.
After an effort to "fix" his jumper, things just got worse. Images and video of his elbow-in, contorted-body, facing-the-wrong-direction jumper went viral, and it completely wrecked his confidence shooting the ball.
https://twitter.com/Somewhere202/status/434919209974235137
He took just nine attempts from beyond the arc as a rookie, and then nine again in his second year. He made three total three-pointers in two seasons.
Back in the 2014-15 NBA offseason, the former Wildcat spent the entire summer on a “shot reconstruction" in an effort to turn a broken jump shot into one that would at least keep defenders honest.
The following year, MKG finished the season with a career-high in points at 12.7 per game, and shot 43% from beyond the arc. His confidence was high, and he was letting his shot fly. It looked like a player with so much promise coming out of college was finally blossoming into what we all thought he could be.
Here was the improved jumper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMHd55CKLEQ
After suffering various injuries the next two years, specifically with his shoulder, the Charlotte small forward reverted back to his old habits.
Tonight, MKG was recorded shooting during pregame warmups, and his jumper looks... bad.
GRANT HALVERSON/GETTY IMAGES[/caption]
When Michael Kidd-Gilchrist entered the league, the one knock on him was that he struggled as a shooter. He thrived everywhere else, but after shooting roughly 25% from three at Kentucky, it was evident a change would be necessary when he got to the NBA.
After an effort to "fix" his jumper, things just got worse. Images and video of his elbow-in, contorted-body, facing-the-wrong-direction jumper went viral, and it completely wrecked his confidence shooting the ball.
https://twitter.com/Somewhere202/status/434919209974235137
He took just nine attempts from beyond the arc as a rookie, and then nine again in his second year. He made three total three-pointers in two seasons.
Back in the 2014-15 NBA offseason, the former Wildcat spent the entire summer on a “shot reconstruction" in an effort to turn a broken jump shot into one that would at least keep defenders honest.
The following year, MKG finished the season with a career-high in points at 12.7 per game, and shot 43% from beyond the arc. His confidence was high, and he was letting his shot fly. It looked like a player with so much promise coming out of college was finally blossoming into what we all thought he could be.
Here was the improved jumper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMHd55CKLEQ
After suffering various injuries the next two years, specifically with his shoulder, the Charlotte small forward reverted back to his old habits.
Tonight, MKG was recorded shooting during pregame warmups, and his jumper looks... bad.
Really bad. This season, Kidd-Gilchrist has taken just two three-pointers for the Charlotte Hornets, with neither shot falling. He has managed 10.2 points and nearly five rebounds per contest, shooting roughly 52% from the field. He has thrived elsewhere, but his limited jumper has held him back from reaching anywhere near his full potential. At 24-years old, there's still a lot of time to get things fixed, but it doesn't look like that'll be in Charlotte. The Hornets have reportedly placed MKG, along with Kemba Walker, Dwight Howard, and Nicolas Batum, on the trading block, as the team is looking to rebuild this offseason. The trade deadline is this Thursday, but if a deal for the former Wildcat isn't found by then, it's likely he'll be moved this offseason. If he does end up getting traded, and even if he doesn't, can someone PLEASE find him a new shooting coach. I'm begging.My wrist hurts watching MKG's mechanics. pic.twitter.com/Z5VgFuiknO
— T.J. McBride (@TJMcBrideNBA) February 5, 2018
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