NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 14: Markelle Fultz is still no. 1

This is a pretty miserable spot for the Miami Heat who have played themselves out of the top 10 in recent weeks as Dion Waiters has turned into the greatest basketball player who ever lived. The 11th best prospect in the draft seems fairly set as Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, but even moving beyond him wades into a number of centers that the Heat simply don’t need after lining Hassan Whiteside’s pockets.

Given that Bridges is the best player on the board, he should be the pick, but the fit is more than awkward. At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Bridges is a big-bodied and athletic combo forward who has been productive in his freshman season for the Spartans, averaging 20.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per 40 minutes. Bridges is a reasonable ball mover on offense, but still commits too many turnovers that are likely the result of being asked to do too much. He has the size to defend multiple positions as well.

The key for Bridges will be how well his 3-point shot develops. He’s been on a hot streak in college, hitting 40.5 percent of his 79 attempts, but his peripheral numbers send mixed messages. While Bridges has made a solid 2.4 3s per 40 minutes, his free throw percentage (63.0 percent) is awful. For him to be a starter at the next level, he’ll need the 3-point shot to fall.

And that’s where things get weird for Miami. If Bridges can’t shoot, he simply adds another versatile, but non-shooting defender to the roster. The Heat will really need him to knock down his jumpers in order for him to be worth the pick.

Learn more about Miles Bridges at The Step Back.