NBA Draft 2012: Why Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Should Be Second Player off the Board

In this year's upcoming NBA draft, there is Anthony Davis and there is everybody else.

There is no question Davis has distinguished himself as the first overall pick. After that, it gets a little bit more murky. Not that there isn't talent behind him—depending on who declares, this could be an incredibly deep class—but there isn't a consensus No. 2 pick just yet.

I say that man should be Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Kidd-Gilchrist isn't without imperfections. His jump shot, for one, needs work. However, he does everything else on a basketball court, and he does it with a great deal of energy, toughness and competitive zeal.

He can guard multiple positions. He's an excellent athlete. He's very good in transition and finds a way to get to the bucket. He's a natural leader. He's a gifted athlete. He works his butt off at both ends of the floor and cares more about the team than he does his own stats or performance. He's an excellent rebounder for a wing player.

If he improves his perimeter play and adds a consistent three-point shot to his repertoire, he'll be hard to stop. High-character guys with a ton of athletic upside and a two-way game don't just fall off of trees—NBA teams should be chomping at the bit to draft this guy.

And who are the alternatives with the second pick after Davis?

Big men Andre Drummond (UConn) and Perry Jones III (Baylor) have a ton of potential but haven't consistently played up to their abilities and have serious bust potential. Thomas Robinson (Kansas) comes into the draft as a hard-working, incredibly polished player but lacks elite upside.

No, it should be Kidd-Gilchrist. For all of his talent, upside and basketball savvy, there is one other thing that makes him so appealing:

He's a winner.

The more players who do all of the little, unselfish things you have on your team, the better off you are. And when those players happened to average 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game as a freshman in college on a team rife with NBA talent, well, you better snag that player when you can.

After Anthony Davis, there isn't another player I'd want more on my team.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets have won a lot since 2009.