Fansided

Miles Bridges did not wreck his draft stock against Syracuse

By Brad Berreman

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 18: Miles Bridges
DETROIT, MI - MARCH 18: Miles Bridges /
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Miles Bridges will (likely) leave Michigan State on a low note, but he is still one of the top prospects in the 2018 NBA Draft.

In a game that set offensive basketball back a few decades, Michigan State and Syracuse combined to shoot 29.6 percent from the floor (32-for-108) and 9-for-45 (20 percent) from beyond the arc on Sunday. Spartans’ sophomore forward Miles Bridges particularly struggled, going 4-for-18 from the floor and 3-of-12 from 3-point range against Syracuse’s vaunted zone defense.

Bridges seemed sure to be a one-and-done, but he chose to return for his sophomore season and try to win a national title. That did not come to fruition with Michigan State’s third-straight early tournament exit. And outside of a marked improvement from the free throw line, and a bit more shot volume from 3-point range, Bridges’ numbers were pretty much the same as his freshman season.

Bridges, 2016-17: 16.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 BPG, 48.6 percent from the floor, 38.9 percent from 3-point range, 68.5 percent from the line

Bridges, 2017-18: 17.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.8 BPG, 45.7 percent from the floor, 36.4 percent from beyond the arc, 85.3 percent from the line

Though he avoided the topic after Sunday’s game, as is typical, it’s incredibly unlikely Bridges will return to East Lansing for his junior season. He is a projected first-round pick, just outside the top-10 on the border of the lottery right now. A case can be made for a return by Bridges, but he has little to gain and a lot to risk by doing so again.

A dismal performance against Syracuse will be fresh on everyone’s minds, but in the scope of his entire two-year resume it should not be a black mark on Bridges as he moves to the next level. Jim Boeheim’s trademark zone has swallowed plenty of offenses through the years, and Bridges is just one of the latest, albeit high-profile, individual victims.

Next: FanDuel daily NBA picks: March 19

Bridges’ versatility makes him a nice fit in today’s NBA. If a lot of teams drop him on their boards based on how he shot against Syracuse, a playoff-caliber team will get a draft night steal.