NBA Draft: Luka Doncic rises to first in 2018 NBA Redraft

Occasionally when he go back and redraft an entire class, a handful of teams end up with the player they originally took. That almost always happens at the top of the draft, but in our 2018 version, the Charlotte Hornets and Miles Bridges intersect yet again at the 12th pick.

In the original draft, the Hornets probably should have taken Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the heir apparent to Kemba Walker and not traded back to allow the Clippers to take him, but they certainly didn’t whiff on Miles Bridges, one of the game’s best leapers and a key part of what Charlotte is building.

The former Michigan State forward has incredible athletic ability, which he leverages most of all in transition to put the defense in impossible situations trying to stop the ball and prevent takeoff from Bridges. He has recognized that he has to have a complete game to be a long-term starter, and accordingly improved his 3-point shooting all the way to 40.0 percent this past season.

Defensively Bridges is not a game-changer, but he’s a solid option who has historically taken on the Hornets’ most difficult opposing wings. He’s not a star, but he is a very solid starter for a Hornets team on the rise. If he can continue to weed out the inefficient long 2-pointers and consolidate his gains as a 3-point shooter he should continue to be a part of the Hornets’ plan.