Quite honestly, this might be a little high for Bridges. He hasn’t fixed any of the concerns left after last season, so his stock is likely trending down as a result. He’s scoring 17.7 points per game while shooting 36 percent from deep, numbers that are almost identical to what he produced in year one.
Bridges’ shot is important to his NBA success. He’s limited off the dribble at 6-foot-6, so his ability to space the floor and reliably knock down spot-up jumpers will largely determine his success as a small-ball four. He’s alreay an effective cutter who can also get to the rim in straight-line drives on occasion.
Defensively, Bridges’ versatility is where a lot of his appeal is rooted. Despite being somewhat undersized, his strength and athleticism should allow him to defend across the positional spectrum. He gambles and makes some poor decisions, but has the weakside rim protection and switchability needed to make a team like Utah pull the trigger.