NBA Draft Film Room: Mikal Bridges checks all the boxes

In the lead up to the NBA Draft on June 21, BSN Denver is taking an in-depth look at prospects the Nuggets might target in the first round. Each draft profile will be accompanied by a podcast available on BSNDenver.com and wherever you normally download your podcasts from. To submit questions for the podcast, reply in the comments section at the bottom of this story.

BSN Nuggets Podcast: Mikal Bridges is the perfect draft target for Denver

The Basics

Mikal Bridges — Small Forward — Villanova

NBA Role: 3-and-D

Player Comparison: Khris Middleton

In one of the more surprising runs in NBA playoff history, the Boston Celtics — without their two best players, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward — stormed through the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs and are two wins away from their first NBA finals appearance since 2010.

The Celtics disposed of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in seven games before making quick work of the 76ers, who came into the Eastern Conference Semifinals winners of 20 of their last 21. Boston then took the first two games from the Cavaliers in a series where many thought LeBron James and Co. would ease by the undermanned Celtics.

How’d they do it? With smart, high IQ players like Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Aaron Baynes, who seem to corral every 50-50 ball, a blossoming young point guard in Terry Rozier and a switching defensive scheme put in place by their coach Brad Stevens that has flummoxed three playoff opponents in a row.

Stevens’ scheme has quirks that make it unique, but it’s not anything groundbreaking. In both Conference Finals matchups, defenses are switching nearly every perimeter screen and roll. The Celtics may do it as well as anyone. They also have the horses to score on the other end of the floor.

Versatility and the ability to guard three, four and sometimes five positions is the key to a dominant NBA defense that also wins in the playoffs, and that has teams across the league loading up on players like Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris and even Baynes and Al Horford, who are switchier than you’d expect on the perimeter.

At the 14th overall pick in next month’s draft, the Nuggets can’t expect to stumble upon an NBA-ready rotation player from the college or international ranks — much less one that can switch at the level in this year’s playoffs. Those unique 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-10 players with quick feet and high basketball IQs don’t grow on trees.

But Mikal Bridges is one of them, and because of his experience and feel for the game, he would have the ability to start or make an impact from day one. The 6-foot-7 wing, who boasts a 7-foot wingspan will likely be gone by the time the Nuggets select at 14. However, if Bridges is still in the green room or Denver trades up to grab the seasoned 21-year-old, who won two National Championships in three years at Villanova, he’d be the perfect fit for the modern NBA and a Nuggets’ defense that’s desperate for help on the wing.

Switchability and Defensive Upside

Bridges’ defensive acumen is what branded him as a household name during his junior season at Villanova. He’s a quick-twitch athlete who’s light on his feet and always has active hands. Bridges has shown the ability to fight over and through screens but also guard multiple positions and isn’t afraid to pressure ball handlers out beyond the three-point line.

In a December matchup against Gonzaga, Bridges scored 28 points on 8-14 shooting, hit five threes, and finished with six rebounds, a pair of blocks and a steal. It was also one of Bridge’s standout defensive performances. In the two clips below, Bridges (No. 25 in blue) navigates multiple switches in a possession. It’s reminiscent of what the Celtics have done possession by possession in these playoffs.

Bridges had the third-most steals and the third-most blocks in the Big East last year as a small forward. He can defend his position but can also come over from the weakside to block shots at the rim. Bridges has a great feel for the game on the defensive end of the floor — something you’d expect from someone who logged three years of college basketball.

His defensive awareness will be welcomed by whatever team drafts him, and it makes Bridges one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft.

Here, Bridges stonewalls 6-foot-10 Killian Tillie on the block and then uses his length to block his shot. Next, Bridges rotates over to block Josh Perkins at the rim.

In a league where at the highest level it’s switch or die trying, Bridges is another high IQ defender who can guard multiple positions and will be able to stay on the floor against anyone. Bridges will be highly coveted on draft night for his defensive abilities alone.

An Elite Role Player

At 21 years old, Bridges doesn’t have the offensive ceiling of a DeAndre Ayton, Luke Doncic or Marvin Bagley, who are all just 19 and considered the top-three offensive talents in this year’s class. But that’s okay.

Think of Bridges in the realm of a Khris Middleton. Ideally, he’s the third, fourth or fifth-best player on a contending team. He can drop 25 on any given night but isn’t counted on for just scoring. Bridges averaged 17.7 points on 51.4 percent shooting from the field and 43.5 percent from three, but he isn’t considered a pure scorer.

He does a bit of everything well, and on a team stocked with three potential 20-point per game scorers in Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, Bridges would fit in as a jack-of-all-trades who wouldn’t be counted on for points every night.

Bridges still does a lot of things well on the offensive end of the floor. He possesses a solid jumper and is better in catch-and-shoot situations rather than dribble-pull ups because his handle is sometimes loose. It’s his best offensive skill coming into the draft.

Below is an NBA-level three-pointer where Bridges motions over from the right wing and rises over the outstretched arm of a defender. His release point is also high enough to feel encouraged about his future as a shooter at the next level. Bridges shot 38.1 percent on NBA threes last season at Villanova.

Here’s Villanova’s next possession from the same game. Bridges again comes off the right wing and nails a second-consecutive contested three over the 6-foot-5 J.P. Macura.

Closer to the rim, Bridges has shown flashes of a midrange game when coming off screens. His isolation game is still a work-in-progress, but he’s athletic enough to make things happen off the bounce.

Bridges’ high IQ on the floor helps him read his teammates well and navigate to open spots on the floor. He was helped by playing with top-level talent at Villanova. Bridges isn’t the type of player that coaches have to worry about messing up the flow of their attack by getting in someone’s way.

Bridges overhauled his shot during his redshirt season and hit under 30 percent of his threes as a freshman. His three-point percentage rose to 39.3 percent and then 45.3 percent last season. Bridges is a blue-collar prospect and a worker who’s made himself into a true 3-and-D threat.

The Verdict

The Nuggets won’t have a ton of wiggle room in free agency this summer, so if Denver loses Will Barton in free agency and drafts at 14 or somewhere in the first round, it needs a player who can step in and play immediately. Bridges is that player.

Bridges will likely be gone by 14. The odds are the Nuggets would have to vault up in the lottery a few spots to nab him. His profile as a 3-and-D prospect who can switch and defend multiple positions fits well on every team — but especially on a Nuggets’ roster that’s starved for depth at small forward.