The Charlotte Bobcats finished last season with a 7-59 record and an NBA record low .106 winning percentage. The team ended the season with a team record 23-game losing streak, after setting a team record 16-game losing streak earlier in the season. After the season, the Bobcats announce that head coach Paul Silas would not return to the team. After a coaching search, the Bobcats hired St. John’s assistant coach, Mike Dunlap shortly before the NBA Draft.
The Bobcats’ losing continued in the NBA Draft Lottery, as the team lost the first overall pick and Kentucky freshman, Anthony Davis, to the New Orleans Hornets. The Bobcats instead received the second pick in the draft and began to contemplate their options. Prior to the draft, there was much speculation concerning whether Charlotte would trade the pick or who they would draft if they kept the pick. The Bobcats opted to keep the pick and drafted another Kentucky freshman, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
Prior to the draft, the Bobcats’ pick was scrutinized from a variety of angles. Many critics thought the Bobcats could trade the pick and possibly receive a bigger name, “face-of-the-franchise” type of player. There were some rumors that the Oklahoma City Thunder offered James Harden in exchange for the second pick, but that was later denied by Thunder management. Others thought that the Bobcats should trade down, acquire more draft picks, and could still get a player of their liking, such as Thomas Robinson. Still others thought that the Bobcats should draft Florida guard Bradley Beal, who has drawn comparisons to Ray Allen and whose draft stock has risen leading up to the draft.
Very few envisioned that the Bobcats would stay put and draft Kidd-Gilchrist and their pick has received mixed reviews. There have been many questions about Kidd-Gilchrist – his inconsistent jump shot (13-51, 25.5% from 3pt-range at Kentucky), his ability to score at the NBA level, and his shyness towards the media. However, in the context of the NBA Draft, it is easy to lose sight of the reasons to draft Kidd-Gilchrist.
Kidd-Gilchrist helped lead the star-studded Kentucky Wildcats team to a national championship. Six players from that team were drafted on draft night and while Anthony Davis received the headlines, Kentucky coach John Calipari consistently acknowledged that Kidd-Gilchrist was the hardest working player on the team. Charlotte owner, Michael Jordan, noted that Kidd-Gilchrist has the ability to be a Scottie Pippen-like player. He called Kidd-Gilchrist a “connector” and on a team like the Bobcats, a “connector” is exactly the type of player that is needed, especially one with tremendous defensive intensity and the ability to guard multiple NBA positions.
In the first Summer League game of his career, Kidd-Gilchrist showed his wide range of abilities as the Bobcats defeated the Kings 121-87. He finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in 22 minutes of play. He shot a respectable 7-12 (58.3%) from the field, made his one three-point attempt, and made three of his six free throw attempts. He did slightly injure his knee and sat out game 2 with a sore knee. Although he did want to play, Bobcats’ coach mike Dunlap said that Kidd-Gilchrist would not play again until he was completely healthy. But despite the minor setback, the second overall pick is showing early dividends as the Bobcats look to rebuild during the 2012-13 season.
