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2018 NBA Draft: Should Hawks Select Mikal Bridges in the Top 7?

By Chris Guest

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 15: Villanova Wildcats guard Mikal Bridges (25) tries to drive around Radford Highlanders guard Donald Hicks (5) during the second half of the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Championships between the Villanova Wildcats and the Radford Highlanders at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA on March 15, 2018. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 15: Villanova Wildcats guard Mikal Bridges (25) tries to drive around Radford Highlanders guard Donald Hicks (5) during the second half of the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Championships between the Villanova Wildcats and the Radford Highlanders at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA on March 15, 2018. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The 2018 NBA Draft is rife with talent, and the Atlanta Hawks look to be in terrific position for a Top 5 selection. With players like DeAndre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Marvin Bagley III widely credited as being some of the highest-upside prospects available, there are some steadier, more surefire selections lower in the pecking order, headlined by Villanova’s Mikal Bridges.

Bridges seems to be the most polished prospect in the Top 10, as he has won two NCAA Championships during his time with the Wildcats and was the best player on the 2018 team.

His two-way capabilities are currently unmatched, especially since he has had three years to hone his skills under terrific coach Jay Wright while with Villanova.

With the Boston Celtics up 3-1 on the Philadelphia 76ers after the first four games of their series with speed, length, defensive intensity and youth, one could see a player like Mikal Bridges playing an important role to any team – especially in the playoffs.

The Atlanta Hawks are in a position to take the best player available in the 2018 Draft, but most of those “best players” that will be available in the Hawks’ range will be big men. The only wing-sized players in the Top 10 are Bridges and Michael Porter Jr. – who comes with his own baggage that the Hawks might be wary of.

Sure, having a gifted and athletic big man is important in today’s NBA – just ask the Celtics foe, the Sixers – but the modern NBA (especially in the playoffs) is all about having like-sized, athletic and quick players who can switch everything on a dime and defend multiple positions with ease. Can Mo Bamba do that? Can DeAndre Ayton? Can Marvin Bagley? That’s still an unknown at the NBA level.

Bridge’s ability to defend multiple positions and switch on defense, however, is not unknown. Bridges was a dominant defensive presence and he affected passes, drives and shots with his length and acumen.

He’s also a terrific shooter – 40 percent from deep in his career – which is another important part of any modern NBA wing’s skill set.

So, should the Hawks reach for Bridges in the Top 5? It’s a tough question. Top 5 picks are very rare, and the Hawks might not get a better chance to nab a transformational player than in this draft.

NBA GMs tend to prioritize upside and potential when it comes to picking in the lottery, so the Hawks could easily pass up Bridges in favor of a tantalizing talent like Marvin Bagley or Luka Doncic.

However, the Celtics seemed to choose a more surefire prospect in the 2017 draft when they traded down for Jayson Tatum, and look how that has worked out: Tatum still seems to be adding more to his game by the day in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and his multiple skills would’ve been gladly embraced by literally any team in the league.

Next: Ranking Top 8 Lottery Picks for Hawks by Best Fit

If the Hawks are willing to take a risk, taking Mikal Bridges “too early” could pay off in a huge way down the road.