MKG Working On His Jumper

Michael putting in summer work in Charlotte (via) One may find it incredibly hard to critique a national champion who was selected number-two in the NBA draft, right below his teammate. When you think of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, you generally only conjure up his amazingly positive traits -- heart of a warrior, insane athletic ability, strong desire to win, generous teammate, and all around stand-up guy. But you certainly never think, "Wow, he's an amazing shooter." For Michael to each his potential, he's got to perfect his shooting stroke. And by 'perfect', I mean completely fix that hitch in his shot. It seems his coaches and the Bobcats organization agree -- MKG and his coaches have been putting in work to fix his jumpshot recently. The poor form is tough to watch, but he always seemed to make it when it counts. However, hitting a high percentage from the field in the NBA will be totally different task than in college. Michael proved his critics wrong in the NBA summer league, doing incredibly well without revamping his jumper. I understand the concept of not being able to teach an old dog new tricks, along with the idea of having confidence in 'your way' and trying to perfect your own style (see: Shawn Marion). But MKG has an opportunity to be one of the best in the league. He may need to bite the bullet, completely break down his shooting form, and start from scratch. It may be a blow to his pride, but if MKG developed a smooth, deadly stroke, he could be a top 10 player in the league within two years. It will take hard work and a lot of dedication to re-teaching his muscles that motor memory, but it will pay dividends down the road. I am glad his coaches see this. I feel like a lot of people kept harping on this as John Wall's major fault, and while he supposedly put a lot of work into fixing it, his underwhelming sophomore season with the Wizards showed that sometimes it truly is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, especially when shooting a ball 'his' way is something he'd be doing for years and years. MKG will have his chance in his rookie season to show the world that those who succeed at the highest level are those who can adapt well.

Bismack Biyombo and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist have also been around a lot. Coaches working on the hitch in MKG's jump shot.

Bismack Biyombo and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist have also been around a lot. Coaches working on the hitch in MKG's jump shot.

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) September 19, 2012