Mikal Bridges Scouting Report

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Mikal Bridges (Wing, 21, 6'7", 210 lbs)

Statistical Profile

Strengths

Bridges has practically ideal size for an NBA wing at 6'7" with a 7'1" wingspan. He is a good quick-twitch athlete with some vertical ability, but his best strengths are as a shooter.

Bridges is a fantastic shooter on the move and will be a threat off flares, pin downs, curls and floppy sets. He squares himself quickly and uses his length to boast a ridiculously high release point that makes his shot very difficult to disrupt. He is a great catch-and-shoot guy with a quick release and excellent balance. He ranks above the 90th percentile on Synergy in the following categories: spot-up, transition, pick-and-roll ball handler, off cuts and off screens. He’s above the 70th percentile in every scoring category.

As a finisher, Bridges is very good with either hand and some craft utilizing both his length and a soft touch around the basket. He is excellent off the ball finding the open area and is an adept cutter to get easy points. His handle isn’t well developed but he has a quick first step, long strides and some vertical athleticism that makes him an effective straight-line driver. In isolation, Bridges is better than advertised. He’s an unselfish passer, can make simple reads as the handler in ball screens, can post up smaller players, and has some hesitation moves that allow him to draw fouls and get to his spots.

On defense, Bridges is a high motor and high IQ defender both on and off the ball. He uses his length very well to his advantage, engulfing smaller wings, contesting everything and recovering when he’s beat on the ball.

He is brilliant as a defender one pass way, denying actions with his length, positioning and IQ. He is a disciplined, quick and tough on-ball defender, remaining in his stance and rarely falling for ball-fakes. He is a very good team defender as well, showing elite awareness on rotations and switches. He has great quickness and footwork evading screens to stay with speedy and shifty guards and wings. He also has very good timing as a weak side rim protector and uses his length to challenge shots vertically at the rim.

Weaknesses

Bridges is not an advanced ball handler. He has poor shake and a high dribble which causes issues if he is handling in traffic. Defenders often get strips or deflections because of his loose handle. When he is relied upon to become a creator, he is turnover prone and lacks the awareness of a playmaker to work in the flow of an offense. He is more inclined towards a secondary or tertiary handler on offense.

He is long and quick but lacks the functional strength to handle the physicality of some NBA forwards. He is certainly a weapon in a versatile and switch-heavy defensive scheme, but one wonders if he is better suited checking guards and smaller wings as opposed to 6'9" power forwards.

Summary

Bridges has a very high floor due to his individual and team defense as well as his shooting ability off the catch in a variety of a situations. He is certainly a lottery prospect, but it’s fair to question his ceiling. Some have compared him to Khris Middleton, using his length to become an advanced pull up shooter in combination with his defensive acumen. At this point, I’m not convinced he can refine his handle enough or become enough of a threat as a playmaker to have such a high usage role on offense. Bridges is almost 22, the oldest prospect in the lottery, and has less functional upside than some of the other wings in his draft class. For him to reach his maximum ceiling, he must tighten his handle and expand his shot diversity. If he is able to become a primary creator with the ball in his hands, he could become an All Star wing. However, at this stage, he is more confined to becoming a highly functional 3-and-D wing with the ability to blossom into one of the league’s best role players and a consistent starter on a good team. His floor is high, but there are higher ceilings throughout the lottery.