2017 NBA Mock Draft 3.0

Bridges has been a highly-touted freshman since the beginning of the season, and little has changed in that regard despite a somewhat uninspiring season for Tom Izzo’s Michigan State squad. As more of a power forward in a small forward’s body, there are some clear hurdles that Bridges will have to overcome to maximize his effectiveness at the next level, but his physical tools and upside alone are enough for a team — like Chicago — to jump on him in the lottery.

It’s genuinely tough to get a read on Bridges’ game at times, which makes him one of the more notable wildcards in this year’s class. He’s shooting a strong 38.8 percent from deep — something that will be imperative to his success at the next level — yet the ball doesn’t always look consistent coming off his hands, and his feel for the game is a massive work in progress when handling the ball on the outside.

Bridges has shown a tendency to force up some bad shots on occasion, especially when attempting to keep the Spartans in games. He doesn’t pass the ball all that well off the outside, and will at times settle for step-back 3-pointers that are far lower in quality that a shot he could get en route to the basket or a shot he could help create via improved ball movement. He’ll likely be relegated more to a spot-up role at the next level — which is probably best — but his limited awareness on that side of the ball does play a factor.

Where Bridges will excel though is in transition, whether as an undersized stretch four or as a small forward should he successfully make that switch full-time. His athleticism and unreal strength allows him to overwhelm teams in fastbreak scenarios, and often leads to him throwing down a dunk contest-worthy slam to cap it off. He also has the defensive potential that comes with being a burly 6-7 wing with his athleticism, but his length — just 6-9 or so — is lackluster when matched up with his natural position, per se, at the four spot.