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Why the Chicago Bulls must draft Mikal Bridges over Trae Young

By Patrick Sheldon

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats looks on from the bench in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats looks on from the bench in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Chicago Bulls Mikal Bridges
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Get defensive

First of all, there is not another wing in this entire draft who defends like Mikal Bridges. In fact, putting positions aside, he’s one of the best defenders in the whole class.

Mikal represents the quintessential 3-and-D wing that today’s NBA covets. We’re going to set aside his offensive prowess for the time being. That will be discussed in more detail later in the piece. For now, let’s focus on the “D” portion of 3-and-D.

At 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, Bridges is incredibly disruptive in the passing lanes. Think of what Kris Dunn did on the defensive end last year and imagine adding a similar defender on the wing. Take a look at a great defensive scouting report below.

Not only does he disrupt passing lanes but his length also allows him to close out quickly on the defenders and strongly contest shots. Finally, he is extremely versatile. He has the size to “body up” and could guard a post-up four if necessary.

As good a defender as Bridges is, Young is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Defense is by far the weakest part of Young’s game. To make matters worse, his diminutive size will make it difficult for him to guard the vast majority of point guards in the league. Compare the scouting report for Bridges with the one below. It’s not even close.

Even if Young was to commit to improving his technique and effort, he’d still have a fairly low ceiling on the defensive side. He better put up an insane number of points each night because he’ll likely give up that many.

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