Villanova’s Mikal Bridges is known primarily as a shooter. At least, he is these days. When Bridges joined the Wildcats, he was distinguished by long-limbed, athletic finishing ability, without much prowess from outside. He’s since sharpened that perimeter stroke to well over 40 percent as a junior, becoming one of the most well-rounded scorers, if not a distinct isolation threat, on one of college basketball’s most impressive teams.
Nobody gets past Mikal Bridges
The Suns’ defense gets a much-needed boost.
Bridges’ defense, though, is what sets him apart. It’s what makes him so crucial to the Wildcats, and what’s going to make him a highly valued NBA prospect now that he’s joining the Phoenix Suns.
He’s around 6’7 with about 7-feet of wingspan, and he’s got speed both shuffling laterally and springing off the floor. Those physical attributes combined with really impressive court sense make for a defender who can stop anyone. Like, really anyone. It’s not uncommon to see Bridges switching constantly through screens. He’s quick enough to shadow a penetrating guard and sizable enough to contest a big man in the post, so why not?
Particularly in the NBA, where coaches keep leaning into switch-happy, everyone-the-same-size lineups, one can imagine a player with Bridges’ size, skill, and intelligence really coming into his own.
