NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 20: The Sweet Sixteen edition
By Chris Stone
Miles Bridges
SF/PF, Michigan St.
Bridges largely played as a small ball power forward at Michigan State and his athleticism was a major advantage against larger players because it made it easier for him to attack them off the dribble. The 19-year old’s shooting also helped open up the floor. Despite a poor free throw percentage, Bridges made 38.9 percent of his 144 3-point attempts this season. He’s a lefty with a pretty shooting motion that should translate at the deeper NBA distance. It’s important that it does because otherwise Bridges will lose a lot of his offensive value.
Defensively, the hope is that Bridges will be a switchable defender who can offer some weak side rim protection and stay with smaller players on the perimeter. He doesn’t have a long wingspan, just 6-foot-9, but he still posted a 4.9 percent block rate for the Spartans this season. Bridges moves well laterally and is highly competitive, which will inevitably help him fill out his potential on this end of the floor.