How Knicks’ Mikal Bridges can blend past roles with Suns, Nets to thrive with New York

Mikal Bridges is the NBA’s version of Goldilocks. After experiencing life as a fourth option with the Phoenix Suns and a top option with the Nets, Bridges is destined for a role somewhere in the middle with the Knicks.

When he first debuted in the league with Phoenix, Bridges was in a modest 3-and-D role. He was often guarding the opposition’s best perimeter player while filling the wing in transition and knocking down open shots off passes from Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Bridges excelled in the supporting role as Phoenix made the NBA Finals in 2021 and had the best regular season record in the NBA the following year. But it always felt like Bridges could bring more to the table as a scorer.

After he was traded to Brooklyn in the midseason Kevin Durant blockbuster deal, Bridges ascended to a primary option role. He was on fire out of the gates, averaging 26.1 points after the midseason trade. This past season, Bridges took a step back, as he struggled with the challenge of being a No. 1 option in Brooklyn. He posted the lowest true shooting percentage of his career since his rookie season and his scoring numbers plummeted to 19.1 points.

The Knicks sent four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-rounder, a first-round swap, a second-rounder, and a rotation piece in Bojan Bogdanovic to acquire Bridges. It’s a massive amount of assets to send in a trade, but Bridges might find the appropriate sized bowl of porridge for himself by moving to a different borough.

Mar 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) looks to drive past New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / © Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Taking a back seat

With the Knicks, Bridges will likely be a third option in the offense behind Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. There won’t be as much responsibility for him to create offense as there was in Brooklyn. Part of the reason for Bridges’ struggles with the Nets was the types of shots that he took.

Bridges took more three-pointers than in any season last year, but…

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Author : SNY

Publish date : 2024-07-15 15:15:18

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