Mikal Bridges

[BonesJones]

This dude is going to be (or should be) the favorite prospect of Rip City. Already a lot of talk of him on this board. He could be Paul George-esque at best, and his floor is Robert Covington IMO.

Great defender, great length, very good athleticism, very good shooter, can handle the ball a little bit..

He's projected to go around 11th. We need to figure out how to trade up for him. I don't care what it takes, he and Collins at the forward spots would be phenominal.

 

[BonesJones]

I'd definitely package Swanigan, our 2018 1st (26th?), and pur 2019 1st to go get him. Utah traded #24 and Lyles last year for #13 to take Mitchell. We should pull off a similar deal.

We could potentially use our trade exception to take on am unwanted contract to help us get up to his range.

 

[AFully22]

Ive been super high on him for a couple months I just see no way we will be able to trade up to get him. I’d be suprised if he goes any later than 10 after the tourney.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Question I haven't watched him enough to know the answer to: what's the difference between him and Justise Winslow a couple years back, except that Bridges is only 3 months younger than a guy that's been in the L 3 years? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he'll be a good player, but I (for instance) wouldn't trade 3 1sts for Covington. I sure as hell wouldn't for Justise. If he's there when we pick, sure. But what is it about him that you want to move 3 1sts for? And to your point, UTH added Trey Lyles to move up 11 spots. You're adding Biggie and next year's first....for what?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Definitely skyrocketing up my board as well. He has the tools to become an elite role player.

 

[BonesJones]

Question I haven't watched him enough to know the answer to: what's the difference between him and Justise Winslow a couple years back, except that Bridges is only 3 months younger than a guy that's been in the L 3 years? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he'll be a good player, but I (for instance) wouldn't trade 3 1sts for Covington. I sure as hell wouldn't for Justise. If he's there when we pick, sure. But what is it about him that you want to move 3 1sts for? And to your point, UTH added Trey Lyles to move up 11 spots. You're adding Biggie and next year's first....for what?

The dude can be a 40% 3pt shooter and has a more refined offensive skillset. He's smarter and has an overall better feel for the game.

If Winslow could shoot 40% from 3 he'd be a great player.

Biggie isn't worth a 1st. That was a bad pick. This draft is also shallow and theres not going to be a legit prospect available in the 20s like last year

If we don't have to include Swanigan you don't, but I think you do. For what? For a SF who is already better than any SF we have, and is a perfect fit.

 

[BrianFromWA]

The dude can be a 40% 3pt shooter and has a more refined offensive skillset. He's smarter and has an overall better feel for the game.

If Winslow could shoot 40% from 3 he'd be a great player.

Biggie isn't worth a 1st. That was a bad pick. This draft is also shallow and theres not going to be a legit prospect available in the 20s like last year

If we don't have to include Swanigan you don't, but I think you do. For what? For a SF who is already better than any SF we have, and is a perfect fit.

It wasn't that I don't think you include Swanigan, I'm fine with it. I'm not fine with a 2019 1st being attached to last years first, just to move up 15 spots for...what again?
Winslow in college: 42% from 3
Bridges in the last 2 years of college: 42% from 3.

(BTW, he's shooting 44% from 3 now, on limited attempts. But started out in the 20's%, so that sucks.)

 

[BonesJones]

It wasn't that I don't think you include Swanigan, I'm fine with it. I'm not fine with a 2019 1st being attached to last years first, just to move up 15 spots for...what again?
Winslow in college: 42% from 3
Bridges in the last 2 years of college: 42% from 3.

(BTW, he's shooting 44% from 3 now, on limited attempts. But started out in the 20's%, so that sucks.)

Bridges currently makes more than twice as many 3s per game than Winslow did in college. He also has a much smoother stroke and shoots the ball with a level of confidence that Winslow ever did.

Lillard and Harkless have nearly the same 3pt percentage this year. However, that doesn't come close to making them equal shooters at all.

The 2019 pick would also be lottery protected. I'd assume it'd be in the 20s as well. I'd definitely trade three picks in the 20s for Mikal Bridges. Something like Tony Carr, Swanigan, and Kenny Wooten for Bridges? Hell yeah.

Next years draft isnt deep at all. The 20s are a bhunch of average 2nd round talents. Don't wanna keep our pick in that draft.

 

[AFully22]

Ya Bridges is a much better offensive player than Winslow was in college. I’m too lazy to look up the numbers but Bridges has the ability to take over a game offensively and I never saw Winslow do that. Although I was high on Winslow at the time as well, it just seemed pretty obvious his strong suit was going to be on the defensive end of the floor. He hasn’t developed the way I thought he would but that’s more of an anomaly than the rule. Bridges is as impressive of a 3 as any in college basketball if you ask me. He has the tools to do it all and still hasn’t filled out just yet.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I like him a lot, reminds me of Klay a bit.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Bridges currently makes more than twice as many 3s per game than Winslow did in college. He also has a much smoother stroke and shoots the ball with a level of confidence that Winslow ever did.

Lillard and Harkless have nearly the same 3pt percentage this year. However, that doesn't come close to making them equal shooters at all.

Ok, I'll believe the subjectives. Maybe the stroke is much smoother and he shoots with more confidence. But your use of "currently" seems deliberately misleading, as if I don't look things up. What has Bridges done to earn the right to be Lillard in your scenario, against Winslow's Harkless?

Last year (his redshirt Jr, age 20 year) Bridges: 44-112 from 3, 39.3%
Only year (freshman season, age 18 year) Winslow: 46-110, 41.8%.

This year he is shooting a lot more. And slightly better.

(Edit: But place me in the "don't care much, I'll see it for myself in the Tourney and draft reports" category)

 

[hoopsjock]

Ok, I'll believe the subjectives. Maybe the stroke is much smoother and he shoots with more confidence. But your use of "currently" seems deliberately misleading, as if I don't look things up. What has Bridges done to earn the right to be Lillard in your scenario, against Winslow's Harkless?

Last year (his redshirt Jr, age 20 year) Bridges: 44-112 from 3, 39.3%
Only year (freshman season, age 18 year) Winslow: 46-110, 41.8%.

This year he is shooting a lot more. And slightly better.

(Edit: But place me in the "don't care much, I'll see it for myself in the Tourney and draft reports" category)

Last year I thought Mikal was super overrated and was only projected as a 1st round pick because people were in love with the thought of what he could be based on his body and athleticism. This year it seems like he is actually playing up to those unrealistic prognostications if that makes sense.

I wanted to just watch him for a full game so I recorded the Villanova vs Seton Hall game last week. He absolutely dominated the whole game on both ends of the court. He was knocking down 3's even with guys in his face. He scored off the dribble. He had a couple of back door cuts for easy baskets and finished with 23 points. He pulled down 10 rebounds including a huge offensive rebound late. He dished out 4 assists. He also was a terror on defense.

I absolutely fell in love with his game. Winslow is a weird comparison. Their games are completely different.

Read this article:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ut-star-mikal-bridges-the-kawhi-leonard-clone

 

[BonesJones]

Ok, I'll believe the subjectives. Maybe the stroke is much smoother and he shoots with more confidence. But your use of "currently" seems deliberately misleading, as if I don't look things up. What has Bridges done to earn the right to be Lillard in your scenario, against Winslow's Harkless?

Last year (his redshirt Jr, age 20 year) Bridges: 44-112 from 3, 39.3%
Only year (freshman season, age 18 year) Winslow: 46-110, 41.8%.

This year he is shooting a lot more. And slightly better.

(Edit: But place me in the "don't care much, I'll see it for myself in the Tourney and draft reports" category)

There's a reason his draft stock has risen this year. You can't use offensive numbers other than this years to evaluate him as a prospect because his role this year is much bigger than before and more similar to the type of role he'd have in the NBA. This year he's shown he can handle a high volume with great efficiency, something that Justise Winslow never did.

A lot of scouting is subjective on the eye test. From somebody who watched both a bit on college, the eye test says Bridges will be much better than Winslow on the offensive end in the NBA.

Don't put too much into their similarity in draft stock either. This year's top 8-10 picks in the draft are absolutely loaded.

We've shown we can develop decent role players from any pick in the draft. We need a very good 3-and-D SF that fits well with our starters. That's Bridges floor. I honestly think he's a better prospect than Michael Porter Jr.

Multi-year college players (especially 3-and-D wings with a well-rounded offensive skillset) are often drafted too low. Malcolm Brogdon won ROY last year, and Donovan Mitchell will this year. Miles Bridges, although a slightly differemt player, fits that profile to a T.

Dude could be rookie of the year. He's a super safe pick with star potential that teams won't know how to value and will be available late in the lottery just like Donovan Mitchell.

We need to be the team that trades up and smatches him. If he and Collins reached their potential for us, we could be a top 3 defense and a championship team.

 

[LayneStaley]

He’s much more than an “elite role player”, he was hitting clutch 3s in the Providence game tonight. IMO he can be a solid number 2 in this league, and with his age I see him contributing right away.

 

[BonesJones]

Last year I thought Mikal was super overrated and was only projected as a 1st round pick because people were in love with the thought of what he could be based on his body and athleticism. This year it seems like he is actually playing up to those unrealistic prognostications if that makes sense.

I wanted to just watch him for a full game so I recorded the Villanova vs Seton Hall game last week. He absolutely dominated the whole game on both ends of the court. He was knocking down 3's even with guys in his face. He scored off the dribble. He had a couple of back door cuts for easy baskets and finished with 23 points. He pulled down 10 rebounds including a huge offensive rebound late. He dished out 4 assists. He also was a terror on defense.

I absolutely fell in love with his game. Winslow is a weird comparison. Their games are completely different.

Read this article:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ut-star-mikal-bridges-the-kawhi-leonard-clone

I love his intangibles (hustle, IQ, makes the right play) and he reminds me of Collins in that regard.

 

[LayneStaley]

It might not be as hard as normal to trade up this year with how deep the draft it, really just depends on what we start with. Also, isn’t it impossible to include the TPE with any player or pick? It has to be straight up for a player correct?

 

[BonesJones]

It might not be as hard as normal to trade up this year with how deep the draft it, really just depends on what we start with. Also, isn’t it impossible to include the TPE with any player or pick? It has to be straight up for a player correct?

The draft isnt deep at all on my opinion. It's quite the opposite.

And rephrase that question.

 

[LayneStaley]

Maybe I’m watching more college hoops this year but I see way more studs, wasn’t Luke kennard a lotto pick last year? He’d be going in the mid 20s in this draft.​

 

[BonesJones]

Maybe I’m watching more college hoops this year but I see way more studs, wasn’t Luke kennard a lotto pick last year? He’d be going in the mid 20s in this draft.​

That was a bad pick...

This draft is shallow. Name one guy projected to go in the 20s this year that is better than someone that went in the teens

 

[LayneStaley]

Phoenix would be the team to target for a trade, they have 3 firsts and 2 seconds. Obviously not thier top 3(most likely) pick but one of their next picks, currently at 15 and 16 I believe. 15 is still too late but it’s within striking distance.

 

[LayneStaley]

That was a bad pick...

This draft is shallow. Name one guy projected to go in the 20s this year that is better than someone that went in the teens

There’s about 9 guys projected in the 20s I’d take over D.J. Wilson

 

[LayneStaley]

Seriously though I would rather have Allen than Wilson.

It’s definitely got a better lottery.

 

[SIeepwalker]

I only there was a draft thread amirite @HCP

 

[hoopsjock]

It might not be as hard as normal to trade up this year with how deep the draft it, really just depends on what we start with. Also, isn’t it impossible to include the TPE with any player or pick? It has to be straight up for a player correct?

You can combine other things, just not contracts. Besides, it can always be broken down into separate trades if needed.

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

There's a reason his draft stock has risen this year. You can't use offensive numbers other than this years to evaluate him as a prospect because his role this year is much bigger than before and more similar to the type of role he'd have in the NBA. This year he's shown he can handle a high volume with great efficiency, something that Justise Winslow never did.

A lot of scouting is subjective on the eye test. From somebody who watched both a bit on college, the eye test says Bridges will be much better than Winslow on the offensive end in the NBA.

Don't put too much into their similarity in draft stock either. This year's top 8-10 picks in the draft are absolutely loaded.

We've shown we can develop decent role players from any pick in the draft. We need a very good 3-and-D SF that fits well with our starters. That's Bridges floor. I honestly think he's a better prospect than Michael Porter Jr.

Multi-year college players (especially 3-and-D wings with a well-rounded offensive skillset) are often drafted too low. Malcolm Brogdon won ROY last year, and Donovan Mitchell will this year. Miles Bridges, although a slightly differemt player, fits that profile to a T.

Dude could be rookie of the year. He's a super safe pick with star potential that teams won't know how to value and will be available late in the lottery just like Donovan Mitchell.

We need to be the team that trades up and smatches him. If he and Collins reached their potential for us, we could be a top 3 defense and a championship team.

Don't follow the draft. Had never heard of the kid. Watched a few minutes of the video and thought he was the type of player the Blazers need and couldn't imagine him going 11. Since you say this is a deep draft at the top that makes more since.

Make it happen

 

[MickZagger]

A young wing like him and this team will be a force to be reckoned with. I'd love if we could pry Jalen Brown from Boston as well.

 

[LayneStaley]

Mikal or Knox, I’d be fine with either in our current lineup. At this point I’d prefer Mikal but Knox wouldnt be a bad consolation.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Is it too late to go into tank mode?

 

[hoopsjock]

Is it too late to go into tank mode?

Depends on what you are tanking for...

The highest possible pick the Blazers could attain by tanking at this point would be 13 if they slid back to 10th in the West.

 

[BonesJones]

Don't follow the draft. Had never heard of the kid. Watched a few minutes of the video and thought he was the type of player the Blazers need and couldn't imagine him going 11. Since you say this is a deep draft at the top that makes more since.

Make it happen

He looks like someone who's destined to wear Blazer red and black.