6. Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan State
Similarly to Robert Williams, it was very shocking to see Miles Bridges return to Michigan State for his sophomore season. Bridges was a projected top-10 pick for the whole season, his draft stock was rising throughout the season. It was a baffling choice for Bridges to return, even his mother, Cynthia Bridges, tried “anything and everything” to convince him to go pro.
Despite playing last season out of position at power forward, and battling with ankle issues, Bridges still managed to put up an impressive 16.9 points per game, whilst shooting 38.9 percent from the three-point line. Moreover, Bridges is a terrific athlete, a posterizer is always on the cards when he drives to the hoop. Additionally, Bridges has a great motor, he’ll battle with his opposition all day long.
Due to weighing in at roughly 230-pounds, Bridges does lack an explosive first step off the dribble when driving inside. Also, he doesn’t draw enough free-throws, he only attempted 3.3 free-throws per game last season.
The obvious issue with Bridges is what position does he play in the NBA? Standing 6-foot-8, he’s the perfect height for a small forward, but his play style is suited to playing a power forward role. Let’s see how this plays out for Bridges this season.