Chicago Bulls draft prospects: Battle of the Bridges

The 2018 NBA Draft is soon approaching, both Miles Bridges and Mikal Bridges will likely be available when the Chicago Bulls are drafting at No. 7. Which Bridges is better for the Bulls?

I’m guessing the Chicago Bulls will be drafting either a rim-protecting center or a lengthy wing. Of course, there is always the chance that the Bulls draft a point guard like Trae Young, but let’s just assume that all their favorite bigs are gone, and they don’t select Trae Young at No. 7. Which Bridges is a better pick for the Bulls, Mikal or Miles?

Mikal Bridges

• Height: 6’7″
• Weight: 191
• Age: 22

The 6’7″ wing from Villanova played three seasons under Jay Wright and won two National Championships. That’s already an impressive resume.

During his junior season, Mikal averaged 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on 51.4 percent shooting from the field and an elite 43.5 percent from three-point territory. Mikal is an absolute sharp-shooter, but that’s not all he provides. He’s also an incredible defender, averaging 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

This is a great video showcasing Mikal’s defensive length and versatility – something the Bulls didn’t have a lot of this season. Can you imagine how frustrating the combination of Mikal and Kris Dunn would be to opposing teams? It would be incredibly fun to watch them pester ball handlers with their quick hands and tenacious defense.

Mikal has the prototypical size and skill-set to be a quality “3 and D” starter in the NBA for years to come, but what’s his ceiling? That’s the only thing I’m concerned about with Mikal Bridges.

I see so many similarities between Trevor Ariza and him that it’s starting to get a little creepy. Ariza’s been a solid player his entire career and even has an NBA Championship from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. But he’s also never averaged more than 15 points per game and is a career 10.5 points per game scorer.

So is there anything wrong with drafting a guy that resembles Trevor Ariza? Absolutely not, but the 7th pick seems a little high for that. Granted, if Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and Lauri Markkanen all turn into stars, then a guy like Ariza would be perfect (see his role on the Rockets for reference). But if Markkanen is the only one that turns into a star, the Bulls would seem foolish to not take a player with higher upside at this pick.

Of course, this sequence is basically Mikal Bridges telling me that I’m completely wrong about his upside:

In that video, he looks more like Kawhi Leonard than Trevor Ariza.

Miles Bridges

• Height: 6’7″
• Weight: 230 lbs.
• Age: 20

In his two seasons under coach Tom Izzo at Michigan State, Miles Bridges averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 47.0 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range.

Miles is a crazy explosive athlete with incredible strength. He can shoot the ball fine, not great, but that’s not how he’s going to make his money. He’s going to be an incredible slasher and defender at the next level.

The draw to Miles is his insane upside. In a few years, there’s a chance that we could all look back at Miles Bridges and think “How was this guy not a top-5 pick?” but there’s also the chance that he doesn’t really pan out as an NBA talent. If his shooting and playmaking don’t improve, we could just be looking at a rich man’s Anthony Bennett. And that’s definitely not what you want from the No. 7 overall pick. But that’s not what I’m betting on. He’s too talented, too athletic, and too much of a work-horse for that to happen.

Check out this video showcasing Miles’ extreme explosiveness on both ends of the court as well as his finesse around the basket and clutch three-point making ability:

https://twitter.com/JBP_Official/status/998298315706937344

Miles is the type of player that can compensate for Dunn and/or LaVine if one or both of them doesn’t end up working out. He also has the ability to play the four in a small-ball lineup which makes him an interesting and exciting fit next to Lauri Markkanen.

Battle of the Bridges results

Miles nearly weighs 40 pounds more than Mikal despite them both being 6’7″. That can either be a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it. Miles could probably get a little leaner while Mikal could probably add more strength. In my opinion, I’d rather have the strength of Miles at this point.

Miles is also nearly two years younger despite only being one grade in school lower than Mikal. Miles just turned 20 in late March, meaning he’ll be 20-years-old for almost his entire rookie season. Mikal, on the other hand, will be turning 22 in August, meaning he’ll be 22-years-old for his rookie season.

While Mikal is a far better spot-up shooter, Miles is a better athlete and a better slasher. I also think Miles is better at creating for himself and teammates. If it were up to me, Miles Bridges would be the better fit for the Chicago Bulls at pick No. 7 in the 2018 NBA Draft. This isn’t to say that Miles is a better player, but I think he fits with the current Bulls roster better. If we were talking about the 76ers, the results would be opposite.

If it comes down to one of the Bridges boys at No. 7, I hope the Chicago Bulls settle on Miles.