The next time you see Michael Kidd-Gilchrist walk, pay close attention to his body movement.
Notice the kind of limp in his step. It’s not smooth, almost herky-jerky in a way. It’s as if he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It doesn’t look like he can walk in a straight line let alone move very fast.
But boy when he decides to run and make a beeline for the basket, get out of the way. Nothing is standing in the way of the one-man locomotive headed straight for the hoop.
“When he gets the ball in that open court and he takes two strides, he’s about at the NBA line in two strides, laying it in through traffic, tucking the ball,” John Calipari said. “He’s pretty good.”
In need of spark in the first half of Tuesday night’s Kentucky–Florida game, it was Kidd-Gilchrist who set the pace for UK in its 78-58 victory. He sped away from defenders for fast-break points three times before halftime, turning a 15-13 deficit into a 27-19 lead.
Late in the first half, after a Mike Rosario turnover, Kidd-Gilchrist got the ball and raced for a space between two Gators that was seemingly smaller than his 6-foot-7, 232-pound frame. Somehow, he emerged on the other side of the Florida duo with a ridiculously quick move, opening the door for an uncontested layup.
“We always tell our guys, ‘If he’s ahead of you, you must give him the ball. If you don’t, you’ll come out of the game because he’s always going to make something good happen,’ ” Calipari said.
With his long strides, sturdy frame and never-say-die attitude, there’s little stopping him from getting the ball and scoring in transition.
“He has a fierceness to him,” Coach Cal said. “I told him this game, this was a rebound game. The reason was Bradley Beal rebounds. He’s like their leading rebounder, like a percentage (point) behind (Patric) Young. That’s why we put Michael on him.”
Kidd-Gilchrist did just about everything in the first half to carry UK to its early lead. He scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the first 20 minutes before giving way to a stellar team defensive effort.
“He’s just got his motor always going,” freshman forward Anthony Davis said. “If we’re struggling, Michael can get us going. We know that he can post, shoot, take his man off the dribble. We always look to him to get us going. Once he gets going and gets the crowd into it, we become a whole different ballclub.”
Kidd-Gilchrist finished with 13 and 13 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season. Four of them have been in marquee showdowns against North Carolina, Louisville, Tennessee and now Florida.
The bigger the stage, the better Kidd-Gilchrist plays.
“He reminds me of Derrick Rose in that he’s tougher on himself than I am,” Calipari said. “Like he came running over during the game and says to me, ‘Coach, I’m sorry. I said, ‘Stop, just have fun and go play.’ He’s a great kid.”
