Mikal Bridges Says He Can Bring Championship Experience to NBA Culture
After winning two national titles in three years at Villanova, Mikal Bridges is ready to bring his championship pedigree to an NBA locker room.
"I know what it takes; it's hard to win a championship," Bridges told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. "You've got to put a lot of things aside. I know what it takes, and I can bring that to another culture."
Bridges, 21, is expected to be a late lottery pick in this month's NBA draft. The 6'7" swingman earned third-team All-American honors during his junior season at Villanova after averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He's also an above-average defender (1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks a night).
"I take a lot of pride in my defense; it's what I do best," Bridges said. "We switched 1-through-4 and sometimes 1-through-5. It comes to my advantage to switch on everybody and really use my length."
Bridges projects as something of a prototypical 3-and-D wing. He hit 43.5 percent of his threes in 2017-18 and made massive strides in each of his three seasons under Jay Wright. NBA teams will want to see him add bulk to his 210-pound frame, and he doesn't create shots well for himself at this point in his career.
But there are few prospects in this class who possess his defensive potential, honed ability to stretch the floor and championship pedigree. While there are stars sometimes found in the late lottery, the players drafted in that area are by and large role players. Bridges has one of the lowest floors in this class and fits in best with a team looking to make a playoff push in the near future.
The Philadelphia 76ers keeping him in the state of Pennsylvania would, at the very least, be an interesting fit.
