sh0ck wrote:CoreyVillains wrote:Red Larrivee wrote:
I feel like this boom or bust concept assumes that the "boom" is some all-star level player. I don't see that in Miles Bridges. I really don't see much that he does better than Mikal Bridges or Wendell Carter. More athletic? Absolutely, but what else?
Exactly. And honestly, he's more athletic when jumping, but that's it as far as athleticism goes in regards to basketball ability. Miles size hurts him so much as a prospect. He isn't going to be able to bully NBA players. Teams are going to try to slot him in as a SF, when he is nowhere skilled enough to play there.
I don't see how he's nowhere skilled enough to play there.
He's a bit of a bruiser, but he's not a stiff. He has a quick rise and moves very well for his size. The short wingspan for his size (6'9) hurts, but Jimmy Butler was also a guy with a similar mold. His ability to jump could help make up for the lack of length, and he's shown to be a very good defender at the college level.
He's strong enough to defender bigger SFs, and has versatility to switch onto bigs while being able to keep up speed wise with guards.
And in his two years at MSU, has shown more passing ability than Mikal and Kevin Knox, both of which are projected as SFs.
And with a 89% FT percentage from the line this year, I'm feeling more confident that his jumper will translate in the NBA.
I think I'm liking Miles more and more as I watch more game tape on him.
He’s not skilled enough because no NBA franchise that’s well run is going to let him have the freedom to do what he does in Michigan State’s offense. His usage is going to drop big time in the NBA. For example, Denzel in his senior year had about the same usage as Miles this year, but his usage has dropped by 11% in the pros; and Denzel is way better with the ball in his hands and has better vision to boot. Miles is rarely going to have the ball in his hands at the next level bc he can’t take anyone off the dribble. Hhis vision doesn’t really mean much when he won’t have the ball. He’s going to be strictly a low usage, transition weapon at the next level. His shooting while adequate is not good enough to be your ideal 3&d wing. His form is fine but he needs to completely rework his foot positioning at the next level. I’m not convinced he’s versatile enough as a shooter to be used as anything more than a completely wide open set shooter. He turned himself into a good ft shooter but he barely gets to the line with high usage, he’s not gonna be a guy who gets to the line in the NBA.
While he has the strength, I don’t think he has the lateral quickness to keep up with perimeter guys. Watch how he moves, it’s like he has the tightest hips in the world. He has short strides and he just isn’t a guy who looks smooth while moving and running around. Against bigs he has the quickness to guard them but he doesn’t have the height or length. Stretch bigs are gonna shoot right over him. You alluded to Jimmy, but the comparison doesn’t work bc Jimmy was the right size as a 2/3. He was always going to be able to at least defend his positions. Miles is a 4/3 who is the wrong size to guard his positions. Similar to Aaron Gordon (who has better size and is more skilled), Miles is going to be at his best at the 4. I don’t the that upside there is high enough though.
He’ll be really good in transition. I think he’ll be able to beat guys back door and he’ll be able to play the baseline for easy buckets. He’ll be a decent 3pt shooter on the catch. Defenses won’t be worried but they won’t completely ignore him. He’s a starter level nba player on a bad or mediocre team, but on a good playoff team he’s a bench player.
