11. Miles has a better chance to hold firm due to his build. He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats, winning national championships in 2016 and 2018. But if we’re grading these guys on an athletic scale of one to 10, Miles is a 10. Then, he helps Donte DiVincenzo when his man has a step, and recovers back to his own in a pinch. Too late. Miles has a slight edge in the traditional counting stats – points, rebounds and assists – but Mikal has been significantly more efficient, and has made more of a defensive impact. Joe’s claim to fame since joining NCAA.com: he’s predicted the correct national championship game twice… and picked the wrong winner both times. Now, he’s shooting 46 percent from deep on 5.3 attempts per game, and confidence oozes from him. Miles Bridges signed a 4 year / $16,317,853 contract with the Charlotte Hornets, including $16,317,853 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $4,079,463. https://www.nba.com/suns/features/mikal-bridges-case-all-rookie-selection NBA Fearless Forecast Weekly Rank: 33. Bridges was selected with the 10th pick by the 76ers in the 2018 NBA Draft before being traded to the Suns on draft night. Miles Bridges. He’s not weak by any means – Mikal is wiry, and doesn’t lose any ground when banging with bigger players in the post. While some fans have speculated, the two players are not related. Here's what Miles and Mikal have done this season. Mikal is a different kind of athletic – he’s more graceful than Miles, but doesn’t have the same pure power. MPJ or Mikal Bridges? Mikal has been an outstanding perimeter defender from the moment he put on a Villanova jersey. Neither is Tom Izzo. Mikal has an older brother, Eric Bridges (26), along with two younger brothers: Jack Bridges (16) and Korey Bridges (13). Mikal plays with one of the best point guards in the country in Brunson, so he mostly just needs to worry about curling around screens, spotting up, and attacking defenses already in disarray thanks to Brunson or Phil Booth. Adding Bridges can help the New York Knicks get to the other side of their rebuild. Miles is a good defender – he’s stout in the post thanks to his strength, and can stay with smaller guys thanks to his speed. His release isn’t as fluid as Mikal’s, and he’s not nearly as efficient. Michigan State’s coach Tom Izzo spoke with ESPN about how he learned Miles may have been considering coming back after his freshman season. © 2021 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Mikal and Miles Bridges are two of the most productive forwards in college basketball. This is lofty praise, but his development at Villanova is Kawhi Leonard-esque. Mikal is the better weakside helper. As we saw last year – when Michigan State wasn’t as talented as it is now – that you can run an NCAA tournament-caliber offense through Miles. Let’s say DeAndre Ayton has the ball with his back to the basket, seven feet away from the hoop. Mikal fits the three-and-D prototype NBA teams are looking for, meaning he is a two-way player who can lock down opponents on defense while being a threat from long-range on offense. Next year you’re going to get screwed because you’re going to be carrying someone else’s bags [in the NBA].’ I start laughing, and he just looks at me and doesn’t say nothing. Mikal has played on three great teams, and has thrived in a secondary offensive role. He could spend time at both the three and four. Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges share the same last name, but are not brothers. He shot 29.9 percent from 3 on less than two attempts per game. The difference? Let’s put it this way. CHICAGO — Mikal Bridges has two NCAA championships, but there are some in the Knicks organization who believe Michigan State sophomore Miles Bridges has the larger upside. Here's what March Madness looked like the year you were born. Mikal is a junior who looks to have played himself into being a 2018 lottery pick. This, right here, is beautiful. High School: Huntington Prep in Huntington, West Virginia. Mikal grew up in Philadelphia, and now plays down the road for the Wildcats. But Mikal can get up like Miles can, and has better rim-protecting instincts. Miles Bridges, ranked as the 11th best prospect among the high school senior (2016) class by Scout.com, has elected to stay home rather than make his very first appearance at a USA Basketball event. Ceiling: Kris Middleton. Miles is a straight-up powerhouse. And to Miles’ credit, he’s a much better shooter than most predicted when he arrived at Michigan State. The 6-foot-6 Villanova junior Mikal Bridges, 21, and 6-7 Michigan State sophomore Miles Bridges, 20, best qualify. At 6’7” with a 7’1” wingspan, including shooting 42% from beyond the arc. Mikal is the killer sidekick that can raise you to a national championship level. His combination of athletic tools and feel is off the charts, and it’s why he’s the best perimeter defender in the country. Mikal Bridges (no relation to top prospect Miles Bridges of Michigan State) has been a key player to Villanova's success in recent years. Mikal Bridges has great upside thanks to long arms, good defensive skills, and good shooting. Miles is a sophomore who opted to return to East Lansing for another season despite being a likely lottery pick in the 2017 draft. Villanova's Mikal Bridges might've played himself out of the Sixers draft range, but Michigan State's Miles Bridges should still be available. To parlay those hops with the strength of a Michigan State linebacker. Opponents score 87.2 points per 100 possessions with Mikal on the floor; no other Wildcat has a defensive rating below 90. Growing up, Joe squared off against both Anthony Davis and Frank Kaminsky in the Chicagoland basketball scene. Side note: you could play either of these guys at center on defense, and probably be fine. These are the 10 best men's college basketball national championship teams since 2000, as ranked by NCAA.com's Andy Katz. Slot a less coordinated big onto him, and he leaves him in the dust. Outside of the talent ahead of him, Mikal’s suspect jumper was the biggest reason he didn’t play more. Miles Bridges seems like one of those players whose potential peaked in college, and has the upside of … Mikal has better side-to-side quickness; that’s evident in his perimeter defense. It’s bonkers how much Mikal has improved his outside jumper between now and when he was a freshman. Mikal is tied with Young and Doncic for best shooter in the lottery, and tied with Zhaire Smith for best perimeter defender in the lottery. Recommended Stories. NCAA.com tracked notable milestones that were set during the 2020-21 men's college basketball season. Mikal Bridges. Truly, it’s a toss-up. Are Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges related? He played 20.3 minutes per game on Villanova’s national title squad. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. At 6-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, he’s got the prototypical build of a wing stopper. But he doesn’t have the defensive instincts or lateral quickness Mikal does, and simply isn’t as much of a disruptor on that end. 9 while Miles goes a few spots later at No. On the first possession of the St. Joseph’s game, Mikal is guarding the opposing center, but doesn’t abandon him and still blocks the shot. Miles is a cinder block as a post defender. Here's wishing you a very vintage March Madness and may all your dreams of a perfect bracket come true. But we’ve never seen him be the guy. So a couple of weeks later, I said something similar. He’s not a great ball-handler, but he’s a capable one; combine that with his football build and explosiveness, and Miles could live at the free-throw line. “They got the same name, nearly … Miles Bridges. Miles is the better post defender. Mikal probably couldn’t have led Michigan State to the 2017 NCAA tournament, but Miles wouldn’t fit into No. Getty Mikal Bridges will turn 21 two weeks after Knox’s birthday, whereas Miles is already midway through his 20th year. Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-6, 225lb (198cm, 102kg) Born: March 21, 1998 in Flint, Michigan us. Mikal Bridges Is Not Related to Miles Bridges, Copyright © 2021 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. This dunk highlight reel speaks for itself: The 40-plus-inch vertical leap is tantalizing, but it’s not that rare. Shot charts from the 2017/18 season for Mikal Bridges (left) and Miles Bridges (right). Get expert fantasy help on your decision to start Miles Bridges or Mikal Bridges. You can imagine how that went. What is rare? Bridges will instead make his college announcement in front of family and local media in Flint, where he is widely expected to announce his commitment to hometown Michigan State. Joe Boozell has been a college basketball writer for NCAA.com since 2015. Miles shot 39 percent from 3 last year – he’s down to 34 as a sophomore, but he’s certainly not lacking in confidence. Check out our DeAndre Ayton vs. Marvin Bagley and Trae Young vs. Collin Sexton film studies if you missed them. If both players declare, it will be interesting to see which Bridges hears his name called first in the 2018 NBA draft. The Villanova big switches, so Mikal takes his man without hesitation, effectively stopping any post entry. Like Mikal, this Bridges is a two-way wing with athleticism, it just comes in a different form. He’s only getting there 2.7 times per game this season – part of that is Michigan State’s personnel, but Miles could stand to attack the basket more. Miles’ athletic gifts make the game much, much easier for him. Miles’ family was recently under the spotlight after a Yahoo report listed his mother, Cynthia Bridges, as someone who accepted gifts from an agent. Like Mikal, Miles stayed close to his hometown committing to play for Michigan State. Jae Crowder has a similar build, as did Shawn Marion. Miles denied the allegations, but the NCAA did require he make a $40 charitable donation after it was revealed family members went to dinner with a separate agent without his knowledge. The Sixers play the Suns this afternoon, and with Mikal Bridges having himself a nice run of form in the bubble, Kyle has returned to Twitter to defend his Villanova guy and rip the local squad for trading the local kid on draft night two years ago. Mikal shuts down three different players in a 13-second clip: Mikal is originally guarding the ball-handler, and dodges the screen to stay at his man’s hip. We're using per-40 averages to adjust for different minute loads. American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). So, so tough. Miles is about 6’6″, 230 pounds and it comes with a ton of explosiveness. Enter Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges; two perimeter players who have proven they can shoot and defend, but the rest of their skill sets are very different from each other. But his timing and instincts are what set him apart. He uses that strength and athleticism combination in more pragmatic ways, too – Miles can get to the paint whenever he feels like it, and if an opponent is daring enough to switch a smaller defender onto him, Miles bullies him for a bucket. And he just says, ‘Coach, why you always trying to get rid of me?’ And honest to god that was the first time I said, ‘What is he doing?’ It had never even occurred to me.”. Mikal Bridges, Michigan State's Miles Bridges and Kentucky's Kevin Knox are all expected to still be on the board. Miles Bridges posterizes Clint Capela with ferocious dunk of the year finalist. This confuses Rui Hachimura, who hesitates for a split-second. But right now, Miles is the more proven playmaker. Mikal slots in as a small forward at the next level, but Miles NBA position is a bit more up in the air. Mikal has improved every year at Villanova, and his 2017-18 numbers are up in nearly every major statistical category. Miles Bridges will need to change many facets of his game to succeed in the NBA, unlike Mikal Bridges, who is one of the most NBA ready in the Draft. Johnathan Williams creeps too far up onto Brunson, and Brunson’s man is lost – he chases Spellman on the roll. Knox boasts a significant advantage in … Miles is a passable outside shooter; Mikal has turned into an elite one. “Everybody piles on Miles because he’s the star … and I said, ‘Hey, Miles, want to know what the bad news is for you? He swishes this: Mikal is a textbook off-the-catch sniper, and his off-the-dribble game is improving. College: Michigan State. Recruiting Rank: 2016 (10) The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. Second: Mikal knows exactly when he should switch onto someone else’s guy, and exactly when he should stunt and recover. Mikal Bridges. Man, this one is hard. Then again: Brunson is the Villanova point guard, so why would he? Contract: 4 yr (s) / $16,317,853. Miles’ transcendent athletic package makes life easier for everyone on the floor. We delve deep into analytics to provide the best advice plus the latest breaking news. April 13, 2021, 3:24 PM. To do this without selling out and leaving the big open for an offensive putback is rare: You don’t see that kind of stuff from Miles, but he’s also not as prone to getting backed down by a strong, skilled center as Mikal is.
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