To compete for a championship this season, the Knicks will need Mikal Bridges to be a vital contributor on both ends of the floor.
Bridges had an uneven first year with the Knicks after he was acquired from the Nets for five first round picks ahead of the season. Though he had some high-scoring games and key defensive highlights, Bridges was benched in a few moments and had nights where he was invisible.
With a new head coach in Mike Brown and a new four-year contract extension worth $150 million, Bridges can have a bounce back season.
When the Knicks hired Brown as head coach, I wrote that Bridges has the most to gain from the hiring. Brown has hinted at wanting the Knicks to bomb away from three, play faster, and move the ball more often. If the Knicks can follow through on Brown’s offensive goals, Bridges should benefit.
Earlier in his career, Bridges was a great cutter off the ball with the Phoenix Suns. If the Knicks play faster, he is an ideal player for that style.
Bridges runs the floor well. There’s also some off-the-bounce juice worth the squeeze. Bridges has never been known as a dynamic playmaker, but there’s an opportunity for him to expand his game via the dribble. One of New York’s weaknesses heading into the new season is the lack of playmaking behind Jalen Brunson. New York’s rotation is unlikely to feature a traditional backup point guard.
The starting lineup will also likely feature two bigs in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. Bridges should be penciled in at the two guard, meaning that he would initiate the offense periodically.
Room for more
When Brunson missed 15 games last season due to a severe ankle sprain, Bridges had his best stretch of basketball. In an elevated role, he averaged 20.5 points on 54.4 percent from the field and 4.9 assists. If Brunson is going to be off the ball at times, that could create more opportunities for Bridges to bring the ball up the court and initiate offense.
In the past we’ve seen Bridges be a capable scorer, like when he averaged 26.1 points with the Nets after a midseason trade with the Suns. One thing Bridges should focus on is his shot profile. Last season, he over-relied on pull-up twos and fadeaway mid-rangers. Bridges needs to prioritize getting to the free-throw line more often and upping his three-point attempts.
Defensively, Bridges could also improve in an adjusted role with Brown. Last season, the wing was New York’s point-of-attack defender, hounding point guards like Trae Young and Tyrese Haliburton. Often, Bridges struggled to navigate screens as several perimeter players lit up the Knicks with high scoring games during the regular season.
Brown has said Bridges will not always be the point-of-attack defender in the Knicks’ scheme. He can display his defensive versatility by guarding several positions. When he’s guarding off the ball, Bridges can be disruptive as a help defender -- with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, he can affect passing lanes. One of Bridges’ best plays last season was his help defense, which led to a late-game steal in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics.
Bridges has a chance to prove that dealing away several picks for him and giving him a huge contract extension was worth it. And if he can elevate his play, it gives the Knicks their best chance to compete for a championship.
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