LAS VEGAS – You can't make it if you don’t take it. So perhaps one of the last plays in a Thursday-night practice will resonate with Charlotte Bobcats rookie Mike Kidd-Gilchrist.

The ideal scenario for any basketball defense is to force the ball to a non-shooter with the shot-clock expiring. Kidd-Gilchrist was 25 feet from the basket, with everyone on the opposing team thinking the same thing: “All he can do is drive.’’

Or so it seemed. It would be hard to be more open along the perimeter. So Kidd-Gilchrist cocked his wrist and threw up that jump shot – the one with the hitch and the funky side-spin. And the ball fell straight through the rim.

Coach Mike Dunlap rushed out to his rookie to reinforce that boldness. Dunlap has been preaching all week that, except for rare end-game situations, he’d never sub out a player for missing an open shot.

“He didn’t hesitate,’’ Dunlap said later. “There was hesitation early on (as in), ‘Should I do this or that?’

“Each day he’ll get a little more comfortable with me, the system and his teammates.’’

That’s to be expected for a rookie, even one chosen second overall last month. Former Kentucky freshman Kidd-Gilchrist was scheduled to play his first game in the Las Vegas Summer League late Friday night against the Sacramento Kings.

What he does in five games here isn’t nearly as important as what he learns. Drafting Kidd-Gilchrist is the consolation prize for the Bobcats going 7-59 last season. Before they even chose him, the Bobcats traded away last season’s starting small forward, Corey Maggette, to the Detroit Pistons. The starting job is seemingly his for the taking.

“I’ve been learning a lot,’’ he said following Friday-morning shootaround. “It’s been a long week so far, but I’m having a lot of fun with all of this.’’

Kidd-Gilchrist grades out high in athleticism, length and intensity. Not so much in shooting or ballhandling. The Bobcats knew that when they drafted him over Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson, Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal and North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes.

“He has a long way to go as far as some of the skill pieces to it. But there’s nothing I can really teach him about his heart or (how to be) a winner,’’ Dunlap said.

“The thing that’s really noticeable is at the end of possessions, whether it’s defense or offense, he’s involved in something. He has an uncanny ability to make a play at the end of a clock.

“He gets a deflection when the opponent has three seconds to (shoot). Or offensively he’ll get a back-door cut for a layup. He’s done that several times when there’s nothing going – he’ll just make a play in pressure situations. I’ve already seen him do it over and over.’’

Teammates Bismack Biyombo and Kemba Walker both are impressed with how hard he plays continuously, even in practice settings. Kidd-Gilchrist said twice during the pre-draft process he wanted to play for the Bobcats specifically to be paired with point guard Walker.

Walker and Kidd-Gilchrist are both from the New York area and played against each other in high school. Walker says he’s already established a big-brother relationship with the rookie. One of the ways Walker can help is reminding Kidd-Gilchrist not to beat himself up over every error.

“When coach told him he had the freedom to do certain things, he looked a lot more comfortable,’’ Walker said. “For example: When he gets a rebound now, he pushes the ball and I’m able to run out’’ to set fast breaks in motion.