Charlotte Hornets: 5 reasons Miles Bridges was a good pick

5. The Hornets received a very athletic player

When the Hornets received Miles Bridges in their swap with the Clippers, they may have picked up the most athletic player in the draft. At 6’6″ and 230 pounds, Bridges is NBA-ready and has one of most explosive steps to the basket. He has been called a combo forward and will dunk everything possible.

Many scouts compare Bridges to Justise Winslow and Jae Crowder. The comparison to Winslow is his pure athleticism. His quickness, strength and excellent jumping ability will allow him to be a versatile tool on the defensive end. Bridges and Crowder are both are built similarly with frames like an NFL tight end.

The Ringer had this to say about Bridges in their draft guide:

"“Explosive and ambidextrous finishing around the basket; can hit tough, contested shots against rim protection. “Good spot-up shooter with compact mechanics. “Does everything smart role players do: cuts, screens, and completes simple passes. “High-energy rebounder who can be inserted at the 4 in smaller lineups.”"

Add in his 6’9″ wingspan and Bridges will able to use that to defend against positions 2-4 as he did while at Michigan State. He may struggle a little against some power forwards in the NBA, but with most teams trending toward position-less basketball, he may not have to worry about guarding a traditional power forward most of the time anyway.

One advantage Bridges may have over Winslow and Crowder is his offensive ability. They aren’t top options in their respective offenses, but Bridges has the potential to be one of the main threats for the Hornets after Kemba Walker, based on just his strength and athleticism.