Draft Preview: Bridging the gap at Small Forward

With the Cavs facing a potential bridge-burning exit by Lebron this summer, it could be in the Cavs best interest to start mapping out potential replacements rather than waiting to cross that bridge later.  Fortunately, this draft has several decent small forwards which could very well be available by the time the Cavs pick at #8, and each could provide a bridge over troubled waters should that dreaded Lebron-exit occur.  This draft preview will take a look at the twin Bridges:  Mikal and Miles (no relation), and determine what each can offer, should the Cavs see either of those Bridges falling down to us in the draft.  Also, seeing as how I am the current blog-tern/temp writer/author-on-extreme-probation for CavstheBlog, I figured I would go down swinging and try to work in as many bridge puns as I could before the owners of the blog decide to toss me off a bridge.

Also, apologies to EvilGenius for sort-of lifting the format he made famous.  I’ve always loved doing pun themes, and sometimes I cantilever well-enough alone. (Apologies to the rest of you for that last one.)

Raw Data Comparison:

MILES Bridges

Height                     6’6
Weight                    225
Wing”span”            6’9
Age                          20 (Mar 21)
Points/gm              17.1
FG%                        45.7%
3P%                         36.4%
FT%                         85.3%
Asts/gm                  2.7
Rebs/gm                 7.0
Stls/gm                   0.6
Blks/gm                  0.8
TOs/gm                  2.0

MIKAL Bridges

Height                     6’7
Weight                   210
Wing”span”           7’2
Age                          21 (Aug 30)
Points/gm             17.7
FG%                        51.4%
3P%                        43.5%
FT%                         85.1%
Asts/gm                  1.9
Rebs/gm                 5.3
Stls/gm                    1.5
Blks/gm                   1.1
TOs/gm                   1.4

Athleticism (Suspension Bridges):

Which player do we most expect to see hanging off a rim after a monster dunk, or suspended in mid-air making a sweet play through the middle of the lane?  More than likely, Miles.  While both can be considered athletic players, Miles is exceptionally powerful and has an abundance of highlight reels showcasing his substantial dunking ability.  He could be considered one of the most athletic players in this draft, and if he were only a few inches taller, might be drawing some pretty lofty NBA comparisons.  Mikal’s athleticism comes more in the form of sneaky agility, which helps him more on the defensive side of the ball. He can stay in front of most guys he’s defending and can also make quite a few nice finishes on the offensive end as well.  Miles has the more NBA ready body, but Mikal also has above-average athleticism as well.  Both grade out very well here.

Shooting (Rainbow Bridges):

Looking at points per game, both Bridges are pretty evenly matched.  But when looking at the percentages and shot mechanics though, the nod goes to Mikal.  Three-point shooting in particular is something Mikal has worked on greatly throughout his college career.  His freshman year, he was a lowly 29% three-point shooter, but he improved it consistently each year, reaching a dignified 43.5% this past season.  His game tends to focus more on catch-and-release type shooting though, which could explain the higher percentages when compared to Miles.  Mikal has a pretty-looking shot with a quick motion and high release point which will be difficult to defend.  On the other hand, Miles shot has been somewhat inconsistent.  He has shown flashes of a decent jumper and it could definitely improve with more work.  As a collegiate three-point shooter, Miles was pretty good.  Although, his 3pt% percentage dropped from around 39% his first year to 36% this past season.  His catch-and-shoot ability should still be considered above-average.  Most of his shooting woes came from jump shots off the dribble, where he either forced a bad shot or failed to get enough lift.  When moving to the free-throw line, both players showed good ability, hitting over 85% of their freebies this past season.  However, that might not fit the profile of players that the Cavs are trying to acquire.

Play-making (Roving Bridge):

This is a part of Mikal’s game that we just have not seen much of in college.  He was never asked to do much outside of catch-and-shoot, catch-and-dunk, and play defense, due to the other players around him at Villanova.   Despite that, he was still good in fast-break situations and other plays which required at least minimal ball handling skills, so he I’m not sure he could be considered a dribbling liability either.

On the other side of the Bridges, Miles did have the ability to create some plays either through his own athletic ability, or through off-ball movement that got him the ball on his way to the hoop.  He was probably most effective as the roll-man in a pick and roll where he was able to get a step on his defender and get the ball going downhill towards the basket.  Likewise, he was also good in open floor transition situations.  He has decent enough court vision to find the open guy when the defense rolls to cover him, yet sometimes he would still find himself forcing up bad shots.  He has a few ISO-type moves in his toolbox and did act as the ball-handler in some pick-and-roll plays, but it’s not really a strength for him yet.  His dribbling ability could use a lot of work, but if he were to add that piece to his game, he could become a deadly slasher.  Once he gets that first step on a defense, he is able to finish with his body strength or find an open teammate on the wings.  In the NBA, both players should be more comfortable in catch-and-shoot situations, and shouldn’t be relied on to be a primary or even secondary play-maker, at least starting out.

Defense (Covered Bridges):

This is where both players excel. Mikal was considered one of the better defenders in college basketball last year.  He could potentially guard any position, and has a natural instinct of knowing when to switch on his coverages.  Miles, likewise has the athleticism to cover the 2-4 spots, but can struggle against taller players due to his shorter reach.  In the post, Miles has the strength to not get pushed around and can hold his ground.  Mikal may get backed-down easier by larger players, but is still a capable defender.  Both have the athleticism to switch coverage duties effectively in today’s NBA where picks and screens into mismatches are the standard offense.  Miles strength also allows him to excel at rebounding, pulling in an admirable 7 rebounds a game this past season, despite his lack of height.  Mikal is also a capable rebounder for a small forward, grabbing over 5 rebounds a game.

Upside (Draw Bridges):

Miles’ raw athletic ability could see him turn into an outstanding player, should he improve his ball-handling ability and add a mid-range shot that defenders would have to respect.  He has decent court IQ and could become a top player maker if he improves his game to the point where he can beat players off the dribble by himself.  Also, much like a draw-bridge, he has an “elevated mechanical drive-system” (I refuse to use the other phrase), which will serve him well on defense and earn him minutes.  Mikal is almost the perfect role-player that you want in the NBA of today, where 3-and-D guys are the essential teammates that you want paired with your stars.  His ability to switch seamlessly and cover just about any position will be invaluable if he is able to keep it up in the pros.  Especially if he can continue to nail 3-pointers at a 43% rate or better.  Neither project to be huge superstars, but both could turn into one of those irreplaceable cogs that help turn an average team into a great one.

Weaknesses (Glass Bridges):

Miles biggest drawback by far is his height and reach.  Measured at around 6’6” with shoes on and having only a 6’9 wingspan, some have called him a Shooting Guard in a Power Forward’s body.  While his athletic ability is among the best, he is still going to struggle against the taller players he’s going to see in the NBA, and unfortunately, “height” isn’t one of those skill-sets that one can improve over time.  He also gets the dreaded “tweener” label in many draft profiles, which may send former Anthony Bennett witnesses into post-traumatic episodes.  However, with the way teams play today with constant switching and a nearly position-less game, he might be able to survive just from his pure athleticism and flexibility.  Mikal’s biggest weakness right now seems to be his inability to make plays for himself.  He’s much better in situations where other play-makers start the action or set a screen and the ball passed to him for a quick shot.  He was never really asked to drive the offense in college as there were always more capable players on his teams that could do that for him, so it’s possible this is something he could develop and add to his game given enough time.

NBA Comparisons (Arch-type Bridges):

Miles Bridges is a difficult player to map to other NBA players.  His strength and versatility could allow for comparisons to some of the better Power Forwards in the game.  However his lack of height makes it difficult to accurately peg him to specific players.  Jae Crowder’s name seems to come up a lot in the reviews I’ve read of him, as they are both around the same height and build and both can defend multiple positions.  I’ve also seen a few comparisons to Draymond Green and his type of play, although Miles is quite a bit shorter.

Mikal is your prototypical 3-and-D wing defender-type, not that finding one of those guys is typical. I’ve seen several comparisons to Otto Porter as well as Robert Covington and Josh Richardson.  If he continues to improve his three-point shooting at the rate he did in college, he could even start drawing comparisons to Klay Thompson.

Mikal:

https://youtu.be/Ye32e3EcgoQ

Miles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_32LDxryzLA

Summary (Wrap Bridge):

Both Bridges offer intriguing options for the Cavs.  While neither is really projected to be an all-star type player, both can play effective roles on a team where other players are more of the focal point. At this point, I prefer Mikal over Miles.  Three-and-D wings are an invaluable commodity these days, but elite defenders that can hit 3’s at a rate over 40% are pretty much a rarity.  Both players will likely find themselves playing in 3-and-D roles in the NBA, but Mikal is already tailor-made for that job.  Miles may have slightly more potential to grow into an all-star type player if he improves his dribbling and play-making, but Mikal is always going to have a place on an NBA roster if he continues to work on his strengths.  While they would have extremely large shoes to fill if Lebron were to leave, either player would be a good complementary piece on a team trying to contend now, or a decent starting point for a team that needs to rebuild and could potentially draft play-making stars in future when their draft position might be better.