Michigan State Basketball: Why categorizing NBA prospect Miles Bridges isn’t easy
By Ian Olsen
Miles Bridges is an elite athlete, but categorizing the first-round NBA draft prospect from Michigan State is difficult, and here’s why.
“What position are you?”
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This is the question Miles Bridges is asked throughout the draft process, to which he fairly answers that he doesn’t have one.
The question feels all too familiar for a Spartan draftee. Before Draymond Green was an NBA All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year, do-it-all heartbeat of the world-champion Warriors, the former Spartan freefell to No. 35 in the 2012 draft after front offices fumbled over themselves trying to decipher what position he was. Too small to play down low, too big to play outside, not athletic enough to be a factor – who was this guy?
Bridges plays differently than Green, but possesses similar traits as a position-less asset versatile enough to affect games in numerous ways.
Despite averaging 17 points his senior season, Bridges was expected by some to be even more aggressive finding his own shot. Opinions aside, Bridges’ unselfishness and 2.7 assists displayed his team mentality and eagerness to contribute however needed. Even when he’s not scoring, he’s always defending, rebounding, passing, even setting solid screens and chasing loose balls.
Bridges is an underrated defender and improving. His agility allows him to defend the perimeter without fouling, and at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds can keep up with anyone on the court. He averaged 1.5 blocks while defending taller post players his freshman season. And after switching to defend wing players his sophomore season, his defensive rebounding numbers hardly reduced, all while he continued to block shots on the weak side.
After some speculated whether his effective outside shooting as a freshman was a fluke and would slip his sophomore season, Bridges boosted his free throw percentage from 68 to 85.
The NBA three-point line is deeper, but players adjust. Bridges shot a better percentage from three his sophomore season than Gary Harris did in his, now an efficient NBA guard shooting an even higher three-point percentage as a professional.
Another characteristic Bridges shares with Green is immeasurable intangible value. Bridges doesn’t yet have the same grit or smarts as Green, but is a coachable leader who brings people together and can serve a glue guy even early in his career.
Bridges is far more than a simple spot up threat offensively, as he has the footwork and balance to score both moving toward the basket and fading away. Perhaps most exciting about Bridges is the upside that accompanies his incredible athleticism. On his drives that resulted in unfavorable shots or turnovers, improved ballhandling would result in more dunks and natural shots around the rim.
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A rise to prominence wouldn’t happen as under the radar as Green’s did, but Bridges possesses the versatility and intangibles to become a star just as difficult to define.