2018 NBA Mock Draft: The lottery is done and the order is set
156. . G/F. Villanova. Mikal Bridges. 8. player
Bridges has little to gain over the next several weeks leading up to the draft, with so much of his game already visible to those who have watched the biggest games in college basketball the last few seasons. His molded skill set as a high-floor 3-and-D wing should help a team like Cleveland.
Like the Lakers at No. 25, the Cavaliers picking a versatile player like Bridges helps them twofold. First, he projects as the exact type of rookie who could actually make LeBron James happy, someone who will knock down open jumpers and play hard on the other end. Second, his versatility and potentially big impact early in his career should make him a valuable trade chip should the Cavaliers tear things down this summer.
Bridges is ranked as high as the top five but some writers, meaning that if he fell to eight, he would be a legitimately interesting piece for Cleveland. Some of the better players in the league began with little more than an exciting 3-and-D floor and turned into two-way dominators. Bridges could be the next, though it is unlikely we see that if he plays next to James.
The Cavaliers are perennially in the unenviable position of planning for the present and future simultaneously, wrapped around James’s finger. We’ll see how they manage this pick.