2018 NBA Mock Draft: Way too early edition

Last season, we were incredibly high on Villanova wing Mikal Bridges over at The Step Back. The 6-foot-7 rising junior found his way into the top 20 on our big board because of the ease with which he could be plugged into various NBA systems as a 3-and-D player. However, Bridges opted to not even test the waters after his sophomore season and will return to the Wildcats for a junior campaign in which he could see a bigger offensive role. Whatever happens, he’ll still have that 3-and-D base to build from.

As a sophomore, Bridges shot 39.3 percent from behind the 3-point arc while hoisting 6.4 attempts per 100 possessions and shooting 91.1 percent from the free throw line. Those are the type of numbers that suggest his shot will translate to the deeper NBA 3-point line. Bridges has also been efficient inside the arc in both of his seasons at Villanova, shooting over 70 percent on 2s for his career. He’s an excellent cutter with a nose for getting to the basket.

Defensively, Bridges uses his 7-foot-1 wingspan well. He’s not a great rebounder, but he averaged 3.5 steals and 1.8 blocks per 100 possessions, which would have put him near the top of the wings in the 2017 NBA Draft in terms of box score production.

Bridges has an opportunity to raise his value as a junior by showing he can create more offense for himself, but even if he stumbles in that role, teams shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on him to play the 3-and-D role that he did as a sophomore.