Just as it’s tough to use NBA comparisons to project impact onto draft prospects due to the snowflake-like variety in strong suits and imprecisions, it’s hard to get a clear idea of what a young player would look like absorbing the role of someone already on the roster of their new team.
But let’s do it anyway, complexity be damned.
Since April 5 in Washington, Jeff Green has started opposite LeBron James for the Cavs and played incredibly well. He scored 21 points that night, 33 the next, and hasn’t looked back. Green is doing little else besides making open shots and defending versatilely, but that type of player hasn’t existed on the Cavs’ roster in recent seasons. His ability to play both ends of the floor prompted coach Ty Lue to name him the starter for the foreseeable future.
Enter Bridges. The sophomore projects to fill a similar role to Green’s, though with perhaps less defensive potential. He can make open 3s — a must on any James team — handle the ball and run the floor. As we’ve seen this year, James can handle inexperience as long as the youngsters make shots and play hard.
Maybe it would be a blessing in disguise if Cleveland fell this far in the lottery.