Los Angeles Clippers 2018 NBA Draft profile: Miles Bridges
By Jason Reed
Michigan State forward Miles Bridges is an interesting prospect for the Los Angeles Clippers to consider in the 2018 NBA Draft.
The 2018 NBA Draft is the most important draft for the Los Angeles Clippers since selecting Blake Griffin with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft — kickstarting the Lob City era.
Nine years later and Lob City is disbanded, DeAndre Jordan is the lone survivor. Now, the Los Angeles Clippers need to establish an identity in the coming years.
The Clippers have enough talent to contend for a lower seed for the NBA playoffs, however, will likely struggle to get out of the first round. Plus, all of the decent talent that is carrying the Clippers to this status is locked down short-term.
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Some would say it is time to add as many pieces as possible to contend, maybe even Kawhi Leonard. Others would say it is time to disband the team and rebuild.
The 2018 NBA Draft is going to play a huge role in this decision. Like Donovan Mitchell in Utah, a great draft pick can completely change the fortune of the team. Thus, the Clippers need to be extra careful with the 12th and 13th overall picks.
Miles Bridges is going to be one of the prospects considered with this pick. Bridges, although he has his cons, has one of the highest ceilings available this late in the lottery.
The six-foot-eight forward is one of the best scoring forwards in the entire draft class. Bridges showcased at Michigan State that he can knock down shots in any situations. Whether it was as a catch-and-shoot option, pulling up off the dribble, scoring in transition or getting to the hole, Bridges showed proficiency in all areas.
In his sophomore season, Bridges averaged 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Bridges shot 45.7 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Although Bridges showed all of the tools to be an elite scorer, he was streaky at times in both directions. However, in a consistent NBA system that plays to his strengths, Doc Rivers should be able to bring consistency to Bridges’ game.
On top of showing proficient scoring abilities, Bridges is also an elite rebounder for his position and is arguably the best rebounding forward in this entire draft class. He is extremely athletic and is a very solid defender as well. Even if his shot is not falling, Bridges can play a huge role in rebounding and defending.
Bridges is not great in the post, however, that tool has become less valuable in today’s NBA. He does not get to the free throw line often, averaging 3.2 attempts per game, and is not a great ball handler. Bridges does struggle to create his own shot because of his ball handling, however, that is a tool not needed in a forward as it is in a guard.
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Overall, the positives in Bridges’ game completely outweigh the negatives that come with them. Because of that, Miles Bridges is obviously one of the best choices the Los Angeles Clippers can make.
All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.