Charlotte Hornets: Was Miles Bridges the right pick?

Conclusion

Everything else is there: he is a great off-ball cutter, sharp team defender, and he talks constantly on the court. He’s ambidextrous around the rim (his most popular Summer League highlight involved a careening right-handed dunk). He was a well-above-average college rebounder. He has room to improve as an athlete and is currently a “two-foot jumper” at times rather than a “one-foot jumper,” a change that significantly improved Donovan Mitchell’s game after college. He is a great free throw shooter with solid outside shooting mechanics. He makes good choices with the ball in his hands. He has untapped potential as a pick-and-roll player. He’ll be able to switch screens in a playoff game.

Long story short: I’m sold on his usefulness as an NBA player for the next dozen years. He’s a role player in the vein of Harrison Barnes at worst for me, and he’s built for the modern game of basketball.

Best of all for me as a coach and die-hard Hornets fan, the dude is willing to put in the work. He passed up lottery-pick money to play under Tom Izzo for a second year. Maybe you view that as him not being ready for the NBA, but I just don’t. He got better in every way in year two. Fewer turnovers. More assists. Better FT’s. Better shot selection. Greater impact on defense. Improved mechanics.

So what’s his path to superstardom?

Three things: drastically improve as a dribbler, incorporate a series of effective post moves, and maintain good shooting form and consistency.

If Miles Bridges develops those two things and extends his range out to the NBA 3-point line, he can take this league and run with it.

Next: How good can Malik Monk really be?

So was Bridges the right pick? Yes. For me, I see a very short and easy path to him becoming an above-average role-player for a long time. More importantly, I can also see a much longer path for Miles that leads to star or even superstar status, and he has demonstrated that he has the drive and physical tools to make it there. Let’s see it, young man.