NBA Rookie Rankings: 5 underrated guys in this year’s class

3. Miles Bridges

There were serious questions heading into the season about whether or not Bridges had the proper size and skill to play as a quality NBA small forward. It’s safe to say he’s answered those emphatically through the first 35 games of his professional career.

With that being said, Bridges still has a lot of room for growth. He’s doing a great job getting to the basket in transition, but his half-court game is still a work in progress. Improving his current 3-point percentage of 32.6 would make him much more difficult to guard.

Similar to Okogie, he’s proving to be more than an adequate defender as a rookie. When you look at his frame, that shouldn’t be surprising. Bridges came into the NBA as one of the strongest guys in his draft class. No one in the league is going to intimidate him from a strength perspective.

Bridges reminds us a lot of a guy like P.J. Tucker early in his career. He gives the Hornets great energy on the wing and is a nightmare to handle in transition. If he can add a reliable 3-point shot to his game he’s got a chance to be an above-average starter for a long time. The good news for the Hornets is that he and his coaching staff are very aware of his weaknesses. Bridges has already made significant strides in just a few months with the Hornets.