Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

NBA Draft prospects to watch at Friday’s NCAA Tournament

By Bill Johnson

Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Lavar Ball embraces his son UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) after the game against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Lavar Ball embraces his son UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) after the game against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Miles Bridges, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Mar 10, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) dribbles the ball as Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Jordan Murphy (3) defends in the first half during the Big Ten Conference Tournament at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Miles Bridges, Michigan State

6-foot-7/230 lbs.
vs. Miami, 9:20 p.m./TNT

Miles Bridges is the type of athlete who you cannot help but notice when he is on the court. At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, he is powerful and explosive. He runs the floor and attacks the rim with ferocity.

Bridges has that ‘edge’ that everyone has come to expect from the Michigan State Spartans. He plays hard, and always seems to give maximum effort.

The issue for Miles Bridges is his size.

At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, it is hard to project him to a specific position in the NBA. He seems too small to play power forward, and he does not appear to have the lateral quickness to stay in front of NBA small forwards.

Up until this point in Bridges’ basketball career, he has been able to excel exclusively on his power and athleticism. That is not a bad thing. But for the jump to the NBA, he has to show more.

Bridges’ numbers are impressive, especially considering he plays at Michigan State, where it is more about the team concept. He averages 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists per game.

But he also averages 2.5 turnovers, and he only shoots 48 percent from the field, 68 percent from the free-throw line, and 38 percent from 3-point range. So he needs to show improvement in those areas.

In fairness, Michigan State has been dealing with injuries throughout the season. So not having a full complement of players may have contributed to his numbers.

All is not lost for Bridges because if Michigan State is able to get past Miami, it sets up a potential match against Kansas in the second round. Kansas not only has great size on their front-line, but they also have Josh Jackson.

Jackson’s name is being talked about as a potential number one pick in the NBA Draft — and certainly in the top five, if not the top three. So Bridges’ draft stock would grow if Michigan State is able to play Kansas, and Bridges has a good game against Jackson.

Over the years, Tom Izzo’s Michigan State teams have made a habit of playing their best basketball during NCAA Tournament time. If Bridges does that, he will climb up the draft boards.

Next: Orlando Magic must improve player development

Mile Bridges is 19 years old. He still falls under the umbrella of potential and upside. He should wow at the NBA Combine. He just needs to show some improvement on the court.