Jalen Bridges

Bridges redshirted in his first college season during the 2019-20 campaign, and he played all four years of his career in the Big 12 - the first two at West Virginia and the final two at Baylor. Bridges alternated between a starting role and the bench as a freshman, but he was a regular starter in the next three years, including 99 starts for Baylor between 2022 and 2024. His overall numbers experienced an uptick once he transferred to Baylor, and he had the best season of his career in 2023-24, averaging 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game, and all four of those figures were career-best marks for him. As a result of the best season of his career, Bridges was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team for the 2023-24 campaign. Bridges is a player who thrives when operating off the ball, as he shows decent movements off screens on both ends of the court and tends to pick his spots very well when on the offensive side of the ball, moving well and showing the ability to finish at the rim. His relatively weak shooting numbers don't tell the whole story because even though he wasn't an accomplished three-point threat at the college level, he has excellent mechanics and should eventually improve with more reps and the right coaching. The former Baylor standout wasn't much of a creator, so that's another area that supports the motion of him being a "three-and-D" player at the NBA level. On the defensive end, Bridges showed the ability to defend guards and wings at the college level, and he has enough strength to defend power forwards in small-ball lineups. He has above-average defensive instincts and playmaking ability, so even if his shot never reaches its ceiling, Bridges can still impact off the bench as a defensive asset. Bridges' build, playing style and athleticism scream the role of being a "three-and-D" player at the next level. He has decent size to guard wings and has good mechanics with his shot, but he needs to improve his defensive consistency, as well as his efficiency as a shooter, particularly from beyond the arc, to carve a long-term role in the NBA. The skillset is there, though it might take him some time to refine it and reach his potential. It wouldn't be surprising if he starts his career in a minor role or even in the G League. He could end up being a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.