Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: Best Landing Spots for Former Kentucky Star

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is one of the hottest prospects in the 2012 NBA Draft, and you'd be best advised to keep your eye on the former Kentucky Wildcats standout on draft day.

Everyone is trying to figure out where Kidd-Gilchrist and the rest of his fellow draft prospects will begin their NBA career, but nobody really has a clue yet, meaning there is some wiggle room for speculation.

Speculate is exactly what we're going to do. Here we'll evaluate the best landing spots for Kidd-Gilchrist.

Washington Wizards

Imagine how jealous John Calipari would be of Randy Wittman if the Wizards had a roster that included both his former proteges, John Wall and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist?

The two would work perfectly together. There are plenty of times when Wall finds himself with the monumental task of turning himself into a one-man fast break. He does it pretty well given the difficulty of the assignment.

Kidd-Gilchrist will make that a lot easier on him. He's extremely fast, can get out ahead in transition and also finish at the rim. He also plays great perimeter defense, something that will increase his fast-break opportunities, as well as the transition opportunities for the team as a whole.

He would also help them in the rebounding department. Nene will be down low cleaning the glass, but the Wizards don't have many other big men who can assert themselves under the rim. MKG isn't a big man, but he's a gifted rebounder on both the offensive and defensive end.

The environment would be good for him too. He'll be surrounded by young players and would help to change the attitude amongst the players. He's been touted for his will to win and positive attitude since he broke onto the national basketball scene, something that can only serve to better the roster as a whole.

Charlotte Bobcats

Kidd-Gilchrist has been on the radar of the top-five teams in the draft with the exception of the New Orleans Hornets. He may not be elated to go to the Bobcats, but it wouldn't be all that bad.

The Bobcats won just seven game last season, by far the worst in the NBA, so there's not one player that is going to save the already-sunk ship. However, MKG would be a good cornerstone guy for the Bobcats to rebuild around.

He plays tenacious defense both down low and on the perimeter. The Bobcats could use that defensive help after finishing 27th in the league in points allowed per game.

The young core isn't embarrassingly bad in Charlotte, and it's not hard to envision the Bobcats becoming a mediocre team over the next few years. Kemba Walker, Byron Mullens, Gerald Henderson and Bismack Biyombo aren't the best combination of guys a team can have, but they certainly aren't the worst.

Walker and Kidd-Gilchrist would be able to get some chemistry going if they were on the court at the same time. Both are young and quick, meaning they can run the break. They also have a couple of big men in Mullens and Biyombo to rebound down low.

The Bobcats could use a shooter, but Kidd-Gilchrist's work ethic will help him develop a better jump shot in a reasonable amount of time.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Kidd-Gilchrist isn't going to fall out of the top-five and likely won't make it out of the top-four in this draft.

The Cavaliers are pretty ugly, but they have a really bright spot in Kyrie Irving. Not just a bright spot, but a flaming ball of fire bright spot.

Irving is going to be a star in this league, and the Cavs need to bring in a guy who can do some high-flying for him. MKG is their man. He's explosive, quick and devoted to the game of basketball and his teammates.

He doesn't need to be a shooter with Irving on the floor, because Irving can do plenty of that. All he needs to do is keep his spacing on the court and make himself an open target for Irving.

Kidd-Gilchrist played in Calipari's dribble-drive offense at Kentucky. Spacing is the most important aspect of that offensive scheme. Spacing is also one of the most important pieces in a successful NBA offense.

This wouldn't be a great fit for MKG because of the roster as a whole, but pairing him with Irving would do wonders for both of them. A fast, strong running mate will help to accelerate Irving's career, as well as the Cavaliers' rebuilding process as a whole.