Getty New Nets players Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
As great as Brooklyn Nets‘ star Mikal Bridges’ stats are on the court, it is not the most impressive part of his game. According to The Athletic, Bridges was just one of five players to play all 82 games last season. But despite being one of the NBA’s iron men, Bridges offers an interesting perspective to load management and players who elect to sit out despite not being injured.
“There are sides. There are 82 (games)… people coming off injuries, we play so much, and we’re traveling — I get it health-wise. I sometimes think in perspective just resting just because … I don’t think so,” Bridges said to The Athletic.
“I just feel like if it’s injury-wise, that makes the most sense you’re not going to force somebody to play injured. Coming off an injury, you want to calm it down. I think if the guy is fully healthy, I don’t think so.”
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Mikal Bridges Gets Candid About His Injury Recovery
Not only did Bridges play all 82 games last season, but he has also never missed a game over his five-year NBA career. It is a refreshing turnaround from the Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving trio that could not seem to stay on the court together.
But Bridges remains humble about his consistent availability throughout his career. Although he knows he is in rarefied air, the Nets star understands how fortunate he is to have accomplished such a rare feat.
“Always just been blessed. I think my body might get hurt, and heals a little faster. Everybody’s body is a little different, but my body will hurt and the next day the swelling will go way down. And every time I did get hurt it’s been in the preseason or offseason, I was like in high school or stuff so that kind of helps as well,” Bridges said to The Athletic.
“I just want to play every game. That’s my thing. Even if I’m banged up, and I’m hurt a little bit, if I feel like I can go, I’m gonna go.”
Jacque Vaughn Has High Praise for Mikal Bridges
In many cases with today’s NBA players, you have to choose between a guy who will play like a superstar and a player who will be consistently available, but rarely will you get both. The NBA is even considering implementing a rule where players have to play a certain number of games to be considered for league awards, such as MVP, for that exact reason.
That is what makes Bridges so unique. He gives you a superstar level of play and takes pride in being available for every game. It is one of the reasons that Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn continuously raves about his new superstar.
“It’s a good feeling. Some things as a coach you don’t want to think about and that’s one of the things. Like you want your dudes to be available on a nightly basis and Mikal Bridges is a guy that takes pride in that, he’s done it his whole career,” Vaughn said of Bridges to The Athletic.
“So, when you’re thinking about game-planning and what’s next for the team when you can pen a guy in on a nightly basis, that eases the mind of a coach, and what he brings so far has been phenomenal as a human being and as a playe