Mikal Bridges has all the makings of a winner in the NBA, and the Phoenix Suns were correct in trading for him in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Bridges, 22, finished his rookie campaign averaging 8.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists — playing 29.5 minutes per contest.
He was the Suns’ ballhawk this season with 1.6 steals per game, and his steal-to-turnover ratio (1.84) was the second-best from a rookie in NBA history.
Man of Steal! 💪 pic.twitter.com/4BGEjwPGRd
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 11, 2019
Though the franchise suffered growing pains this year, a truckload of promise exists within the franchise — and the Villanova product is a huge reason for that.
“Mikal is like the prototypical 3-and-D guy for me,” former Suns GM Ryan McDonough said of Bridges, per Gina Mizell of The Athletic. “(But) I don’t want to limit him and put him in that box and say that’s all he can do.”
Bridges’ ceiling as a two-way wing makes him an essential piece to what is looking to be a legitimate playoff contender in the coming years.
Spearheaded by the Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton, the Suns possess one of the NBA’s most talented young rosters. Bridges becoming the third option next to those cornerstones is palpable, and he’s doing whatever’s necessary to be that missing link.
“They had a lot of confidence in me and in growing me,” Bridges said of the Suns. “They gave up a lot for me. I don’t take that for granted”
Phoenix finished 19-63 in the 2018-19 campaign.
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